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A HISTORY 



OF 



Dickinson County, Iowa 

TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOUNT OF 

The Spirit Lake Massacre, and the Indian 

Troubles on the Northwestern 

Frontier. 



ILLUSTRATED 



ByR. A.SMITH 



Des Moines: 

The Kenyon Printing & Mfg. Co. 
MDCCCCII 






THE LIBRARY or 
CONGRESS, 

Two CopUi Racalvad 

JUL t6 f909 

Capyright Kfltty 

'^k t- ,■ ^ r 3 

LASS- i?u XXo. N«. 

(p 5 ^ 5 

COPY A. 



> 

Cb 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the Year 1902, 

by B. A. SMITH, in the office of the Librarian 

of Congress, at Washington. 



2[oai> 



INTRODUCTION. 

There has for some time existed a feeling that a comiected 
account of the Indian trouble on the northwestern border of 
Iowa should be given to the public, or i-ather that what facts are 
preserved should l)c so grouped that a person reading them could 
form a reasonably int<'lligent idea of them. Any person fol- 
lowing this line of investigation will soon come face to face 
with the fact that the sources of information are extremely 
limited. The writer has endeavored to give as correct and con- 
cise an idea of the points treated as was possible under the cir- 
cumstances, and it seems appropriate to combine them with 
the early history of Dickinson County, inasmuch as that was 
the storm center around which, so far as Iowa is concerned, 
these events seemed to culminate. 

In doing this work he has quoted freely from such sources 
as were accessible and known to be reliable, and notably so 
from the writings of Hon. C. E. Flandrau, Hon. Harvey Ing- 
ham, Hon. A, E.. Fulton and Mrs. Abbie Gardner Sharp, giv- 
ing at all times the proper credit. The writer was a member of 
the Relief Expedition in 1857, and assisted in burying the 
victims of the massacre at that time, and much of what is 
written in that regard came under his own j^ersonal observa- 
tion. He was also a member of the first party that effected a 
settlement subsequent to the massacre and nas given those 
events as nearly correct as he can remember them after the 
lapse of near half & century. 

Many will remember that in the centennial year Governor 
Kirkwood recommended that the several counties procure a sum- 
mary or synopsis of their pioneer history, and to the writer lu^ro- 
witli Avas assigned the task of preparing one for Dickinson 
County. The article was published in the Spirit Lake Beacon 



CHAPTER XII ^*' 

Effect of the Massacre Elsewhere— Attractiou of Emigrants— The 
Howe and Wheelock Party— J. S. Prescott and His Party— Geo. 
E. Spencer and the Newton I'arty 

CHAPTER XIII 1^2 

The Three Parties— The Trip to the Lalies— Taldng Claims— The 
Claims of the Victims of the Massacre— A AVrong Impression Cor- 
i-ected— Granger and the Red AVing Party— Prescott's Visionary 
Scheme— The Spirit Lake Town Site Located— The Old Fort— The 
First Religious Meeting— Mode of Living 



CHAPTER XIV 

Naming the Lakes-Organizing the County- HilTs Trip to Sioux 
Citv to Obtain the Order for the Election— The Election Held— 
Omcers Elected-Carrying in the Returns— The Boom— The ^^'^^'^'r 
Its Effect on the Settlement— The First Sawmill- The I irst I< aiuily 
After the Massacre— Peters and the Old Red Mill— 1 he General 
Election 

CHAPTER XV •■•.■ 

The Spirit Lake Claim Club-The First Postofflce-Th^ First Mail 
Route-Torson's Wonderful Feat-Postofflce at Okoboji-'Ihe Ijrst 
Funeral— The First White Child Born in the Emigration in I808— 
Farming— The Ravages of the Blackbirds 



CHAPTER XVI 




Steam Mill-Attempt to Replevin the Logs-A Fight Prevented by 
An Unlooked-For Circumstance— Umpashota and His Band 



CHAPTER XVII 



Emieration in 1859 -The Government Surveys eompleled — The 
Homestead Law-Tbe First Physician-TheFir^t Marriage Ceremony 
The M E. Church -Rev. Cornelius McLean - His buccessor - The 
Oircuit-Tlie First Singiug S.-hool - Special Election for Disposing 
of the Swamp Land- A Brief Review of the Swamp Land Question - 
Building the Courthouse and Two Bridges -8ubse.|uent Bridges on 
the Same Sites 



CHAPTER XVIII 




hTvV En i^tmentslRenTwed Vpin-ehe^ of I-^f ^ 'ri-oubles- 

Governor Kirkwood Appoints Judge Baldwm to Look After h ron- 
tier Defense 

CHAPTER XIX ,. -•■•-■::;•;•-:-••:;• ^--- 



The Minnesota Massacre-How It Began-Ambush of Captain 
Marsh-The Battles of Fort Ridgley and New Ulm-The Indian 
dS of Artillery-Colonel Sibley Placed in Command The at- 
fif. nf Birch Coulee— The Prisoners— Sibley s Effort to Jier |'\<^'" 
^thSuf iA^hSS a Failure-Battle of Wood Lake-Sild,^ A ake. 




Three Sentenced to be Hung— President 
Thirty-nine of the Leaders Hung 

^"^^'^S^n' lowa-The' Massacre Along the Dos Moin^s^ie Relief 

JM^elf^It^^r^^tSS^i^Sl^lnrrile S^^^' 

CHAPTER XXI 




Honorable Geor 
and Others 



166 



185 



1S6 



209 



225 



237 



263 



CHAPTER XXII 276 

Expeditions Against tlie Indians— Sully's Expedition— His Force 
Leaves Sioux t'lty and Follow Up tlie Missouri— Expect to Form 
a Junction With Sibley's Forces at Api>le Itiver— On Arriving 
There FUu\ Sililev Has Heen 'niere and Turned Back— Battle of 
White Stone Hill— The Return to Sioux City— Slhley's Comniaud - 
Move Across Minnesota— Fight Three Battles Before Iteachlng the 
Missouri— On Reaching the Missouri Find That Sully Has Not Yet 
Arrived— Rest Two Davs and Then Turn Back— The Expeditions 
of 1864 

CHAPTER XXIIl 2H7 

Close of Military Operations on the Frontier— A Summary- The 
Fur Business— Trapping and Gathering Fur— Early Literary So- 
cieties—The Okoboji Literary League— The "Legend of Spirit 
Lake " 

CHAPTER XXIV 301 

Causes Delaying Emigration— A Period of Dullness— The Early 
Work of the" Methodist Episcopal Church— The Early Preachers— 
The First Camp Meeting— The First Religious Revival- The Vem- 
ful Storms— Blizzards— Who Coined the Word— A Description From 
the "Great Divide"— A Few Experiences— A Romantic Wedding 
Trip. 

CHAPTER XXV :i'" 

The Settlement at Lakevllle in 18Gr>— The First After the Close of 
the War— The Wot Summer— High Prices for Provisions— The First 
Settlers In the Other Towns— The Fuel Question— Burning Hay- 
Burning Corn— The Sod Shanty 

CHAPTER XXVI *** 

The Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad- The Building of the Mllford 
Mills— Several Controversies— The Level of the Water in the 
Lakes— The Courthouse Burned 

CHAPTER XXVII 3^1 

A Period of Prosperity— Postofflce at Lakevllle and Lake Park— 
The Grasshopper Raid of 1873— Where They Came From— Views 
of D. A. W.Perkins— Their Depredations— lOxtract from J. A. Smith's 
Pamphlet— The Seed Grain Question— The Legislature Appealed To 
—They Appropriate $50,000 to Buy Seed Grain— Commissioners for 
Distribution 

CHAPTER XXVIII 349 

The Second Invasion— The Destruction Greater Than Ever— Whole 
Neighborhoods Abandoned— Extract From Governor Carpenter's 
Article in "The Annals"— Grasshoppers Block Railroad Trains- 
General N. B. Baker— His Efforts in Behalf of Grasshopper Suf- 
ferers Impair His Health— His Visit To Spirit Lake 

CHAPTER XXIX 360 

The Earlv Schools— Lack of Funds— Amusing Incident Related by 
Hon. A. W. Hubbard— The First School at Spirit Lake— The Court- 
house Used for School Purposes— The Early Teacher.s— The First 
School at Center Grove— The Little Log Schoolhouse Built by Sub- 
scription—The Earlv Teachers— The School at Okoboji— The School 
Building Erected by Subscription- The School at Tusculum— Tlie 
Dickinson County Teachers' Association— The Early Institutes 

CHAPTER XXX ^''^ 

The Need of a Railroad— Local Schemes— The Spirit Lake & Sioux 
Valley Railroad Company Organized— Survey Made— Aid Voted— 
The Scheme a Failure— The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul In- 
duced to Make a Survey— The Chicago & Northwestern— The Burl- 
ington, Cedar Rapids & Northern the First to Build In the County 
—J. S. Polk and the Narrow Gauge 

CHAPTER XXXI 376 

Disappearance of the Game— The Last Buffalo Killed in lown— 
"Ilegira of the lOlk"- Extract From a Paper Written by J. A. 
Smith for the Midland Monthly— The Deer— "Bob-Cats " 

CHAPTER XXXII :W7 

ICarly Fishing— The Supply Begins to Diminish— Measures Adopted 
for Their I'rotcctlon— The Fish Hatchery at A uaniosa— Branch at 
Spirit Lake— The State Hatchery Moved to the Lakes— It Is In- 
.iuriously Affected l>y Both High and Low Water and Is Finally 
Abandoned- Legislative Restrictions— Fish Shanties Prohibited 

CHAPTER XXXIIi 39»i 

Early Boating— The First Sailboats -The First Regatta— A Lucky 
Accident—Other Boat Itaces— Tlie Yacht Cluli A Narrow Escape— 
The First Steamers— The Favorite and Alpha — Larger Steamers 
Demanded— The Hiawatha— The Ben Lennox and the Queen 



The Dickinson County Herald— Civic Societies 



CHAPTER XXXVII A. IV^v,' .^u.^-iV 

Tlie Eailv Churclies— M. E. Pastors— Baptists— First Churcli BuUd- 
ins in the Countv-Rov. J. L. Coppoc-Subsequent Pastors-Con- 
jrregationalists-Lutherans-Tlic Catholics-Tlie Evergreen Sabbath 
School— Spirit Lake Musical Association— The Pioneer Cornet Band 
—The Pioneer Girls' Club— The Spirit Lake Chautauqua 



CHAPTER XXXVIII \; ,,.,:• V ■ V^", " ' 

Milforfl, its Location- The First Settlement of Milford ami Oko- 
l)0ii Townships— The Old Town-The First Hotels and Stores— 
Earlv Entertainments— The Milford Library Association-Amateur 
ITheatricals-The Milford Dancing Scbool-The Early Churches- 
The Work of Rev. J. R. Upton-The Building of the Railroad 
Forces the Moving of the Town 

CHAPTER xxxTX „ ■ ; ■:,•• 



Lake Park News— Churches-Civic Societies— Postofflce—Tucoi poia- 
tion of the Towu-Mayors-Present Officers-Supenor-lhe Town 
Started by the Railroad Company-First Postofflce-Tlio First 
Business Ventures— Postoffice— Incorporation— Officers— l he De- 
structive Fire of lS97—Terrill— Carpenter's Wild Railroad Scheme 

CHAPTER XL ^ • • • ;";;:i;,f' 

The Earlv Summer Tourists— Limited Accommodations- A BUer 
Description of the Lakes-Extract From f'-P"'"*:^'^';'' ^J'^P^VItJ^^ 
Earlv Stopping Places— Crandall's Lodge— Lillywhite s Lodge- 
Other Early Stopping Places— The Orleans Hotel 

CHAPTER xLi ■ ;,• v/ "■.■;■ Ui' 

Resorts on West Okoboji-Arnold's Park-Its Growth-Variety of 
Entertainment-Tlie Annual Shooting Tournament-Millers Baj- 




on West Okoboji 
CHAPTER XLIT 



Elected and Appointed From This County 

OH APTER ^[;^,^,j,,,^^^^j;pj,ig,atVon ' Relating to It-<^'^'li"V'^'^i?"f ''f, ,^1'' 
pointed-They Organize-Ex-Governor Carpenter Ala.le 1 i M.Unt~ 
Contract Awarded to P. N. Peterson Company ..f ^'^■.J^""'- ,f' "P*!- 
sota-Monuiiient ('ompleted-lleport of (^iminissioners-Dedication 
of Mouument-Addresses by R A. Smith Hon. J^- J';-, •;';'";\';:';'.;.;;,f 
St. Paul. Hon. C. C. Carpenter. Lieutenant Governor Di.ng.ui. 



Secretary Richards and Others 
CHAPTER XLIV 
Conclusion 



CHAPTER XXXIV 413 

The Town of Spirit Lake— Selection of the Site— Arrival of the 
First Families— The Four Women Who Wintered Here the First 
Winter— The First Buildings— The Old Fort Used as a Hotel— The 
First Frame Houses— The First Social Events— An Old Fashioned 
Fourth of July Celebration— The First General Store— The First 
Hotel— How the Title to the Town Site Was Obtained— The lOnter- 
prise Abandoned bv the Original Promoters and the Land Proved 
Up as a Private Claim— Life in the Town During the War 

CHAPTER XXXV •• •• *29 

Spirit Lake Town Continued— The Early Merchants— The Early 
Business Houses Generally— The Beacon Block— The New Cran- 
dall House— The Coming of the Railroads— The Roller Skate Craze 
—Incorporation of the Town— The First Officers- The New Court- 
house-The First Brick Buildings— The Stevens Block-'The Elec-- 
tric Lights— A. M. Johnson's Store— The Roller Mill— The Cold 
Storage Plant 

CHAPTER XXXVI ; ; • ^ ' " ■• ^^ 

The Spirit Lake Postoffice— Postmasters— Tlie Spirit Lake Beacon, 
rrhe Pioneer Newspaper— The Early Advertjsers— Early History of 



458 



47(i 



495 



516 



527 



iW2 



("IIAPIKK 1. 

DICKINSON cor XTY— LOCATION AM) I'llYSlCAL 

FEATURKS TIIK T-AKKS INDIANS OF IOWA RKl'- 

IJKSK.NT TWO DISTINCT HACKS ALCiONQUIXS AND 

DACOTAIIS ALGONQUIN TRIBES, SA(^S AM) KOXES^ 

POTTAWATTAMIES^ ILLINOIS AM> MUSCATINES 

DACOTAII TRIBES, lOWAS, O.MAHAS, WINNEBAOOS 

AND SIOUX THE NEUTRAL LINE THE NEUTRAL 

GROUND-TKKATIES THE TREATY I'OR THE PUR- 
CHASE OF NORTHWESTERN IOWA. 




TCKIXSOX COUNTY is tlio third (•..uiitv in the state 
froin the west liiu' and in the north tier of counties hor- 
derino,' on the Minnesota line. It is twenty-four niik^s in 
kMigth east and west, and nearly seventeen miles in 
Avidth north and south, and therefore emhraees an area of about 
four hundred scjuare miles, about eiii'ht per cent of which is 
covered with lakes. 

It is the most elevated county in tke state as it lies oin the 
"height of land'' or great water shed between the ^fississippi 
and ^Missouri Ilivers and is drained by the upi)er branches of 
both the upper Des Moines and Little Sioux Rivers, which empty 
respectively into each of the hcfore named streams. Its idtitude 
is about seventeen hundred feet above tide water. The niark^'d 
])hysical feature which distinguishes Dickinson from the other 
counties of northwestern Iowa is her numerous lakes. First 
and last, many descriptions of these lakes have Ik-cu writt<Mi 
up and puli]ish('(l, but by far the most interesting and read- 
able is that contained in Prof. T. IE. ^LacBride's report o^i 
the geology of Dickinson and Osceola Counties. Writing on 
this subject he says : 



IQ DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

"The lakes of our region lie almost all in Dickinson County. 
Not that Osceola is destitute of similar topographic features, 
but for some reason the peculiar conditions that resulted m 
lakes of size were developed farther east. * -- - But m Dickin- 
son Countv the lakes are the features of the topography many ot 
them deep enough to promise permanency, and several so large 
as to have long attracted popular attention by their beautilnl 
blue waters and the charming outlines of their shores. Mmne 
Waukon or Spirit Lake, is as we have seen, historic, nay, is it 
not prehistoric > Even for the red man these beautiful gems 
of the prairie had name and fame. He hung them around with 
legends of his own and named them in his own poetic, mystic 
+-ashion. Okoboji, place of rest; Minnetonka, great water; 
Alinne Waukon, 'lake of demons, lac d'esprits, were every one 
ai)parentlv familiar to all the tribes and nations of the Sioux, 
and were doubtless known by name at least to all the eighteenth- 
ceuturv trappers and voyageurs. Okoboji, evidently distin- 
o-uished bv the red man, was by white explorers generally 
reckoned part of Spirit Lake, and is so entered on the ear ler 
maps The two bodies are in fact part of a remarkable system 
extending- in chain-like fashion for twenty miles or more m 
Iowa and probablv almost as far in Minnesota. Nevertheless 
the o-reater lakes 'have now no natural connection with each 
othe?; thev are in general quite unlike and have, m some details 
at least, a different geological history. In all cases the water 
level seems dependent entirely upon rainfall. The few springs 
discoverable are small and insignificant, while of affluent 
streams there are practically none; none at least that bring 
in perennial waters. The overflow of the Minnesota lakes, 
it is claimed, reaches our Spirit Lake, and certain smaller 
lakes to the west and north are also on occasion tributary. tJut 
all the lakes, whether in Iowa or Minnesota, are subject to sim- 
ilar fortune. In rainv seasons full, they send their waters 
to the common outlet; in drier years there is no^urplus and 
the outlet fails. In fact the lakes are each and all simply 
jrresit pools left on the surface by the retreating glacier, mark- 
ing points where the ice was somewhat thicker or the amount 
of detritus carried somewhat less abundant. They owe not their 
pxistence to erosion; no recent change of level has formed an 
outlet for their waters; such as they are, such were they wh(>n 
the latest geologic epocli closed. The present form and con- 
dition of the outlet would not suggest that the principal lakes. 



THE LAKES PROF. MC BRIDE 11 

at least, have ever been inucli dt'cpcr tluiii at present. TIr' 
outlet valley is largely constructional and while there has In-en 
erosion, considerable in the vicinity of ^lilford, still erosion 
has not in time past much affected the level of the lakes, does 
not at the present day seem to affect them at all. Those 
familiar with the situation for the last four oi- tive decades 
assert that Si)irit Lake had formerly a natural outlet south- 
ward. There is no sign of it at present. On the other hand 
the out-thrust of the ice from winter tn winter has tended t^> 
form a species of dyke almost entirely around the lake, esi)ec- 
ially along its sandy beaches, and this alone would seem to 
have been sutlicient to close tip any connection, slight and 
shallow at Ix^st, between Si)irit Lake and the waters south of it. 
At any rate there is along the south shore of Spirit Lake a 
pronounced terrace, which is natural and due to the causes 
mentioned. There are, however, evidences, chiefly afforded 
In' terrace construction, that the water level in the lake has 
been higher in days gone by than now, perhaps ten feet higlier. 
In such event there would be an overflow southward. Probably 
the level of the lake has oscillated through the centuries. With 
a succession of dry seasons the water would become so reduced 
that out-flow would cease entirely. The sand pushed up in 
winter by the ice would then form a dam higher and higher 
and which at length only a very considerable rise in the waters 
of the lake could surmount. Then probably scmie excej)tionally 
rainy season would wash out the obstacle and again reduce the 
level of the lake, making possible again the construction of 
the dyke.- In the nuiintenance of the barrier vegetation very 
much assisted. Today various aquatic plants hold the shallower 
parts of all the lakes in possession undisputed and greatly 
check the movements of tlieir waters. Tn fact by reason of 
abundant vegetation nuniy of the sinalhu- lakes are now in 
danger of l)eing completely filled. The j)lants, m.any of them 
rooted to the bottom, at once absolutely prevent erosion, and 
at the same time hold all solid matter coming in from what- 
ever source from without. For this reason the general outlet 
of the system, the south end of the south Gar Lake, is not 
deepening, but seems to be actually rising year by year. Tint 
it is time we should describe the lakes more in detail. 

"Minne Waukon or Spirit Lake, the largest l>o(ly of watei- in 
Iowa, occupies the greater ])art of the townsliip of the same 
name. Its extreme length from north to south is a little more 



12 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



IOWA 




VIEW OX SPIRIT LAKE. 



lliaii four miles, in Iowa. The extreme width is aljout the 
same, but owing to irregularity of contour the area is not more 
than ten square miles, while the cireumferenee is nearly six- 
teen. The depth of the lake is said to be thirty feet ; the bot- 
tom, so far as can be learned, is almost even, so that from the 
deepest part to the shores the diminution in depth is remark- 
ably gradual. The shores are for the most part comparatively 
low, the water-line sandy, aifording unlimited beach. Hard by 
on the west lie Marble Lake, Hottes Lake, and Little Spirit 
Lake, separated by only the shortest distance from the mam 
body of water, l)ut draining one into the other and north — at 
lengthi, however, tributary to Spirit Lake. Those interested 
have in recent years cut a channel to bring Little Spirit Lake 
and its congeners into more direct communication with the 
larger water, apparently Avith small success. Tn dry years no 
lake has anything to s]iare. Strangest of all, in the middle of 
the series, in the south half of section 17, lies Sunken Lake, 
distant from Spirit Lake only a few rods, and parted from it 
by a wall of drift some twenty or thirty feet high and at its 
summit scarcely a rod in width. So abrupt are the shores and 
so peculiar the situation that common rumor asserts the lake 
a matter of recent formation ; some p(H)ple even declare that 
so lately as twenty years .ago trees stood where now the wat(n' 
is ten feet deep. The name Sunken Lake records the ])ii]mbir 



SPIRIT LAKE 



13 



estimate and explanation of the reniai'kahle phenomenon. It 
seems probable, however,' that Snnken Lake is as old as any of 
the others, and whiU' a most remarkable bit of topography, 
snfficiently wonderfnl to demand, even jjeremptorily demand, 
an e.xplanation, yet is it qnite in harmony with its entire snr- 
ronndings, and not without parallel in many only less con,^ 
spicnons cases. For instance, on the east side of East Okoboji 
Lake, in the southwest quarter of Section 15, Center Grove town- 
ship, there are two small lakes even nearer the prineij)al lake 
than in the ease we have just considered and similarly walled off 
from the greater body of water by a pile of drift. Similar 
situations on a small scale may be ])ointed out in every part 
of Dickinson County. The only ex])lanatioii is the uneven- 
ness of the lower surface of the ice-sheet which rested here», 
advanced no further, and as it melted retreating even farther 
and farther northward, left behind, perchance as blocks of 
ice, these pools of clcai-, fresh water. Sunken Lake may then 




DRIVE BETWEEN SPIRIT LAKE AND SUNKEN LAKE. 



14 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 











PW'^iL 1^1 




^i^lBHi^^^ '■'T^^^MB^HiSSSflBK^''' 


! 
• ■ ' i 



WEST OKOBOJI. 



represent an ice bowlder ; this seems more probable since its 
walls are steejD, unbroken on every side. 

"South of Spirit Lake lies Okoboji, in its two sections 
stretching somewhat in the form of the letter U, open to the 
north, partly in Center Grove, partly in Lakeville township. 
West Okoboji, which re])resents the western side of the U, lies 
almost wholly in Lakeville. This is by many estimated the 
most beautiful water in the series. Its greater depth, nioi'o 
picturesque winding shores give it some advantage over Minne 
Waukon, although the latter shows the greater expanse of 
water. West Okoboji Lake, or simply Okoboji, as it is com- 
monly called, exte^ids nearly six miles in greatest length and 
.almost three at the point of greatest breadth. The greater 
portion of the lake is, howevei-, narrower, so that the total area 
does, not exceed seven square miles, while its irregular con- 
tour measures nearly eighteen miles, as platted. The depth 
of the la,ke varies very much at different places and is variously 
reported. The bed of the lake probably resembles the topog- 
raphy of the adjacent country ; it has its hills and its valleys. 



LAKE OKOBO.Il 



15 



There seems no reason to cloul)t that there are many places 
where the depth is at least one hundred feet, but soundings of 
two or three times that depth are reported.* 

"The shores of Okoboji are for the most part high walls of 
bowlder-clay and drift ; sandy beaches are less frequent. Every- 
where the erosion of the waves has shaped the shores, under- 
mining them and sorting their materials ; the fine clays have 
been carried 'out to sea,' while the weighty bowlders are left 
l)ehind every winter to be pushed up closer and closer by the 
ice, at length piled over one another in ramparts and walls, 
often riprapping the shore for long distances as if to simulate 
the work of civilized man. A beautiful illustration of this is 
seen along the southern shore of Lake East Okoboji, section 
20. The less attentive observer would surely conclude that 
those stones were piled up by 'art and man's device,' a sea- 
wall to prevent further encroachments of the tide. At the 
southern end of Okoboji, near Gilley's Beach, is another fine 



*These particulars are from tbc reports of Oshermen and boatmen about the 
lake. 




NATURAL RIPRAPPING ON WEST OKOIiOJI. 



16 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




MIXKE WASHTA. 



(lis])lay uf bowlders, notable not so much perhaps for their 
position as for their variety and beantv. Here are bowlders 
of limestone, bowlders of o'ranite of every sort, por])hyrv, sye- 
nite, trap, greenstone!, qnartzite, what you will, the debris of 
all northern ledges. Simihii- dei)osits are visible all around 
the lake, more especially on the eastern side, probably because 
the prevailing winds being westerly, the waves have exerted 
their more constant energy along the eastern bluifs." 

His descriptions of East Okoboji, Minnie Washta, Center 
Lake and Gar Lakes are equally fine, but must be excluded for 
lack of space. Tn conclusion he says: ^'Tliese lakes taken alto- 
gether form one of the atti-actions of Towa. Their ])reserva- 
tion in their pristine beauty is a matter of more than local 
interest." 

Originally what now compi'ises the state of Towa was (^ccu- 
))ied by several different tribi'S of Indians. These several 
tribes were descended from one or \ho other of two parent 
races, viz.: the Algon(|uins and the Dacotahs. The Alii'on(piiiis 
were the most nuuiei'ous and |)owerful of the native races. 
They oi'igiiuilly occu])ied the valley of the St. Lawrence TJiver 
from whence their migrations were gradually westward to the 



INDIANS OF IOWA 



17 



Great Lakes, and eventually to \hv Mk^iAs'i])]n jind even 
bevond. Tliev were divided into a lariic number of trihcs hav- 
ing their separate interests, but speaking a eonmion language 
and owning a conmion ancestry. 

The Algoiupiiii tribe wliieli tiguved tlie most ])roiniiiently in 
the history of Iowa were the Sacs and Foxes.. These were orig- 
inally two diif(>rent tribes, but Indian history informs us that 
they were united about the year 1712 and moved towards the 
Mississippi Uiver. The names Sacs and Foxes were given them 
bv the whites. The Indian name of the Sacs was the "Outa- 
gamies" and that of the Foxes was the ''Musquawkies." Very 
little is known of them for the first hundred years after they 
moved to the Mississippi. When Lieutenant Pike, in 1805, 
made his first voyage of discovery up the river he saw a great 
deal of them and learned considerable about them. lie esti- 
mated their nundier at that time to be not far from five thous- 
and. Judge Fulton says that "'According to a communica- 
tion submitted to Congress by President Monroe, in rehition 
to the Indians, in 1825, the Sacs and Foxes were estimated 
at six thousand four hundred, more than one-half of whom 
resided Avest of the Mississippi." They were the hereditary 
enemies of the Sioux, who were a native tribe whieli the Sacs 
and Foxes strove in vain to dispossess. They had ])reviously 
conquered and driven out the Towas and taken possession of their 
country. They had also be<Mi successful in their wars with other 
tribes, but they met more than their match in the fierce and ter- 
rible Sioux, and were in a fair way to be finally overcome by 
them when the Fnited States authorities intertereil and endeav- 
ored to put a stop to the hostilities, in whieli they were but i)ar- 
tially successful. The most prominent (diief of this tribe 
known to the whites was the renowneil 'Tllaek Hawk." Other 
chiefs of lu-ominenee were Pashepalio, l\e(.kidx, .\ppanoose, 
Poweshiek. Wa]»ello, Kishkekosli and many others. -ludge 



18 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Fulton gives a list of one hundred and fifty-^even names of 
members of this tribe copied from the daybook of one of the 
old traders. In 1845 and 1840 they were removed to a reser- 
vation in Kansas. A short time later a ^'lingering remnant" 
of the tribe, becoming dissatisfied with their Kansas home, 
wandered back tq their old haunts on the Iowa River, where 
they were allowed to gain a foothold and follow the free and 
easy life of their ancestors in the midst of a progressive and 
highly civilized community. They have readopted their ancient 
name and are now known to their white neighbors as "Mus- 
quawkies." 

Another of the Algonquin tribes, which at one time had a 
home in Iowa, was the Pottawattamies. When they ceded 
their lands east of the Mississippi in 1833, they were placed on 
a reservation near Council Bluffs, where they remained until 
1846, when another treaty was concluded with them by which 
they disposed of their land in Iowa and moved west of the 
Missouri. As with the Sacs and Foxes so with them after be- 
ing on their reservation for a short time a few homesick strag- 
glers under the lead of the well known Johnnie Green, wan- 
dered back to their old haunts in central Iowa, where they 
fished, hunted and strolled about undisturbed by their white 
neighbors until they passed out by life limitation or were 
merged with the Musquawkies. 

The mini, or Illinois, as they afterward came to be called, 
were a powerful confederacy made up of five distinct tribes of 
Algonquins, and at the close of the Seventeenth Century inhab- 
'ited central Illinois and southern Iowa. It was members of 
this tribe that Father Marquette came in contact with on hii^ 
memorable voyage down the Mississippi in 16Y3. Historical 
accounts relate that he made the entire trip from the Fox 
River in Wisconsin to the point where he discovered "the foot- 
prints in the sand" near the mouth of the Des Moines River 



THE ALGONQUIN TRIBKS 19 

in Iowa without encountering a single native. After lanfling 
he followed the trail inland to an Indian village, and found to 
his great delight that the savages there spoke the same lan- 
guage as those he had left on the shore of Green Bay. Later 
on this powerful confederacy hecanie much reduced hy a san- 
guinary war with the Iroquois, and hy the time of the Louis- 
iana Purchase in 1803 were either exterminated or had joined 
other tribes and so had passed out of existence as a distinct 
iiation. 

Another strong tribe of the same race inhabitiug the state 
of Iowa at the time of the French explorations, but which 
became extinct before the time of the Louisiana Purchase, 
were the Muscatines, or Mascoutins, as they were then called. 
But little is known of this tribe, although there is abundant 
proof of their once having occupied both sides of the Missis- 
sippi near where the city of Muscatine now stands. Judge 
Fulton closes a chapter regarding them, as follows : "Having 
left the last traces of their existence on what is now Iowa soil 
we have perpetuated the memory of this vanished people by 
enrolling the appellation IMuseatinc in our Indian geographical 
nomenclature." 

It would seem that a careful study of the history of the 
different tribes about this period would cause nmny people 
to revise their preconceived notions of the rights and wrongs 
of the American Indians. According to the most reliable esti- 
mates there were originally not far from half a million natives 
scattered through the territory of what is now the United 
States. The theory that this vast emjiire, capable of supporting 
its hundreds of millions of population, should have been pre- 
served in its native wildness for the gratification of the 
savage instincts and propensities of these few thousand w.w- 
riors is at least debatable if not wholly untenable. The main 
occupation of these tribes was war among themselves. Upon 



20 DICKINSOX COUNTY - IOWA 

tlie least provocation and on the flimsiest pretext tliev rushed 
into tlie most deadly and destructive warfare with each 
other. They fought for the love of fighting. Entire tribes 
were exterminated and others greatly diminished. There is 
every reason to Ix'lieve that the number of native inhabitants 
was largely diminished during the last half of the Seventeenth 
and the first half of the Eighteenth. Centuries by reason of this 
bitter, unrelenting warfare. The number of Indians who have 
fallen first and last in the various actions with the whites is 
wholly insignificant when compared with the nund^ers slain 
in wars among themselves. Of course there have been many 
instances of dishonesty and bad faith in dealing with the 
Indians, but that doesn't change the main proposition that in 
the nature of things it was never intended that this vast con- 
tinent should be shut off from civilization in order that a few 
tribes of blood-thirsty savages should be undisturbed in their 
favorite diversion of waging relentless warfare against each 
other. 

The Dacotah tribes figuring in Iowa history are the Omalias, 
the lowas, the Winnebagos and the Sioux. It is doubtful 
whether the Omalias ever had a permanent residence on Iowa 
soil, but they frequently visited the state and were closely con- 
nected with the lowas, who were of the same race and spoke 
the sgime language. Judge Fulton, in writing of the lowas, 
U'ses the following language: ''The lowas were once a strong 
and powerful tribe and were able under their brave and warlike 
chiefs to maintain successful warfare against their enemies. 
Their later seat of empire was in the I)es Afoines Valley. 
Their pi-incii»al village was situated on the Des Moines River 
near the northwest corner of Van Buren (\junty, where the 
old trading post of lowaville was subsequently located. That 
si)ot may be regarded as historic ground, for there traiis|)ired 
events in the annals of savage warfare which transferred the 



THE DACOTAII TKIBKS '2\ 

sovereignty of the l)es ^loiiies Valley from tlic Towns t<» tlu' 
Sacs and Foxes." The decisive hattle in which the Towas were 
so signally defeated hy the Sacs and Foxes occurred some time 
between 1820 and lSi*r». l)]iring the latter year the gii\-ern- 
nient i)iir('hased their niidivid<'d interest in th<' conntry, what- 
ever it might have hecMi, and they were placed under govern- 
ment pi'otection and settled (tn a reservation Ix^yond the y\\<- 
souri Kiver. The only ])rominent chief of this tribe whose name 
has been perpetuated in Iowa is Mahaska. 

Another Dacotah tril)e at (tiie time residing in Iowa were 
the Winnebagos. This tribe when first known were located 
w^est of Lake ^lichigan near Green Bay. Their history is a 
checkered one which cannot be rei)eated here. After the 
Black llawk W.ar they were removed from AVisconsin to the 
"Xeutral Ground" in Iowa, where they remainc^d until IS-lli 
Avhen they were again removed to a reservation in ^Minnesota 
near ^Afankato. They remained there until after the Sioux 
outbreak in 1S(\2 when they were sent to a reservation (»n the 
!^^issouri in South ])akota. Of their chiefs those wht» have 
been remembered by the people of Iowa are Winneshiek, 
Waukon Decorah, and One Eyed Decorah. Tt was the latter 
who delivered Black Hawk a prisoner to the I'nitiMl States 
Indian Agent at Prairie dn ( 'hiiMi at the close of the Bhick 
Jlawk War. 

The main branch of the Dacotah race are calle(l Si(»ux. 
]\Iany persons consider the terms Sioux and Daeotah as apply- 
ing to the same people. This is not strictly true, since several 
of the Dacotah tribes, as the lowas and Winnebagos, and some 
others, have never been called Sioux. Still no great confusion 
of ideas can arise from using the terms as interchangeable. 
While the term Dacotah is the mc^re com))rehensiv(^ of the 
two, the term Si(tux is the best known and the one with which 
the peoj)le are most familiar. These Fndiaus originally occu- 



22 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

pied the western i)art of Wisconsin, the northern part of Iowa, 
the great<ir part of ^linnesota, the whole of Xorth and Sonth 
Dakota, and much of the country west to the Rocky Moun- 
tains. The first well authenticated meeting of the whites with 
the Dacutahs was in 1()()2, but for nearly lifty years previous 
to that time fabulous stories had reached the French on the 
St. Lawrence I\iver of a wonderful })eople who dwelt far to 
the westward and who spoke a diifercnt language from any 
with w^hich they were acquainted. These mysterious reports 
made snch an impressiou on the mind of C'hamplain, the 
Governor of Xew France, that he determined to investigate. 
Accordingly in 1634 he induced Jean Xicollet to undertake a 
journey of exj^loration in the region beyond what had then 
been discovered. Xicollet's account of his journey reads like 
a fairy talc, l)ut he did not succeed in reaching the Sioux on 
that trip. A very interesting paper by Hon. Irving B. Eicli- 
nian, entitled, "First Meeting with Dacotahs," says : "The first 
meeting of the Dacotah Indians by white men took place at a 
spot not so remote from the lake regions of Iowa. In 1G62 the 
French travelers, Radison and Grosseliers, held a council with 
a large company of the Dacotahs near the Mille Lacs, in what 
is now the state of Minnesota. They were even then a famous 
and dreaded nation. Says Radison in his quaint and Gallic 
way: 'They were so ninch respected tliat nobody durst not 
offend them.' " 

Eighteen years later or in 1080, the Mississippi River hav- 
ing been discovered in the meantime. Father Hennepin was 
sent out by La Salle to explore the upper regions of it. Judge 
Fulton, in his introduction to a chapter on the Sionx, uses this 
language: "It was in 1680 that Father Hennepin and liis two 
companions, Michael Ako and Anthony Anguella, were sent 
from Fort Crevecour, near Lake Peoria, by the renowned La 
Salle on their mission of discovery to the upper Mississippi. 



THE SIOUX 23 

The tribes they found inhal)itiii_i>- the country now embraced 
in northern Iowa and the state of ]\finnesota wore those 
belonging to the great Dacotah grou]) or nation. AVIiih* en- 
camped on the banks of the Mississi])|)i tlicv were taken ])ris- 
oners by .a band of Sioux warriors, and remained ^vith them 
in their wanderings over the vast })rairies and among the 
lakes of that region from April until September, having dur- 
ing that time been joined by that other intrepid French adven- 
turer, Dnlntli. These were the first Europeans who met the 
people that occupied and roamed over the i)rairies of northern 
Iowa, or kindled their eamptircs about the lieadwaters of the 
Des Moines and on the borders of our beautiful lakes two 
hundred years ago." 

The numerical strength of the Daeotahs was then estimated 
at about forty thousand and does not vary a great deal from 
that at the present time. The nation was divided into a large 
number of tribes and these tribes were again subdivided into 
numberless clans or bands, each unchu- its petty chief or leader, 
who roamed over the prairies far and wide, living on game and 
fish and the spontaneous production of the soil. They lived 
mainly in rude tents called "tepees" and roamed about as in- 
clination dictated. They had favorite haunts which they vis- 
ited at stated periods and which were regarded by tliem as 
headquarters, where different bands would rendezvous for a 
while and then scatter again over the i)rairies and their places 
be occupied by other bands. Judge Fulton, in his "Red ^len 
of Iowa," says: "At the time of the celebrated voyage of ex- 
ploration made by T>ewis and Clarke in 1804 uj) the ^Fissouri 
River, the band or tribe of the Great Sioux nation, known as 
Yanktons, lived on the u])per Des ]\roines and Little Sionx 
Rivers and the region about S|)irit Lake." Hut litlle reliable 
information can be olitained calenlatetl to throw liglit ujion 
the history of the different bands that oeenpied this eonntry 



24 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

])revioiis to its purchase and settlement by the whites. Author- 
ities seem to agree, however, that a band of Yankton-Sioux, 
known as tlie Wahpekutahs, occupied the country of northern 
Iowa and southern Minnesota during the earlier part of the 
present century, i^orth of these in Minnesota were three other 
tribes of Sioux for whom agencies were subsequently estab- 
lished on the Minnesota River, which will be noticed more in 
detail further on. 

The Sioux were the deadly enemies of the Sacs and Foxes, 
the AVahpekutahs l)eing the most active in their hostilities and 
the most implaea])l(' in their hatred of their southern neigh- 
bors. So sanguinary was the warfare waged by the contending 
tribes that the Ignited States government, in 1825, decided to 
interfere and if ])ossible put a stop to it. By a treaty, bearing- 
date August 1*.*, 1825, a l)onn(biry was establisluMl between the 
Sioux on the north and the Sacs and Foxes on the south, as 
follows : Commencing at the mouth of the upper Iowa River 
on the west bank of the ^Mississippi and ascending the said Iowa 
River to its west fork, thence up the fork to its source, thence 
crossing the fork of the Red Cedar River in a direct line to the 
Calumet or Big Sioux River, and down to its junction with the 
Missouri River. 

This action of the government only made mattcu'S worse, 
each ])arty claiming that the other had trespassed l)y cross- 
ing over the line, and hostilities waged hotter tlian ever 
until in 1830, when the government interfered a second time 
and finally succeedcnl in negotiating a second treaty, wherebv 
the several tril)es ceded to the (i^nited States a strij) of land 
twenty miU's wid(^ on each side of tlic formci- lin-c, tlius throwing 
tlie combatants foi-ty mih's apart. This strip was known as 
the "Xeutral Ground.'' Alany persons at the i)resent time use 
tlie term without knowing its meaning. This scheme nu'nded 
matters some but did not wholly prevent hostilities, which were 



THE NEUTRAL GROUND 25 

kept up to a greater or less extent until 1845, when the Sacs 
and Foxes were removed from the state. 

The last hostile meeting between the Sioux an<l the Sacs 
and Foxes was in Kossnth County, in April, 1852, between 
two straggling bands, both of whom at that time were 
trespassers and had no legal right on Iowa soil. This action 
possesses a dramatic interest out of all proportion to its impor- 
tance as a historical event, from the fact that it was here that 
the ''lingering remnants of two great nations who had for more 
than two hundred years waged unrelenting warfare against 
each other had tlieir last and final struggle." The number 
engaged was about seventy on a side, and the result was a com- 
plete victory for the Sacs and Foxes. 

At the same time of the treaty respecting the Neutral Ground, 
July 15, 1830, another treaty was negotiated by which the 
Sacs and Foxes, Western Sioux, Omahas, lowas and Mis- 
souris united in conveying to the United States the portion of 
the western slope of Iowa described as follows: Beginning at 
the upper fork of the Des Moines Kivor and passing the sources 
of' the Little Sioux and Floyd Rlivcrs to the fork of the first creek 
that falls into the Big Sioux or Calumet Eiver on the east side, 
thence down said creek and the Calumet to the Missouri River, 
thence down said ^lissouri River to the Missouri state line 
above the Kansas River, thence along said line to the high- 
lands between the waters falling into the Missouri and the ])es 
Moines, passing to said highlands along the dividing ridge 
between the forks of the Grand River, thence along said high- 
lands or ridge separating the waters of the Missouri from the 
Des Moines to a point opjwsite the source of the Boyer River, 
thence in a direct line to tlie up]>er fork of the Des ^foines, the 
place of beginning. 

By the terms of this treaty the United States agreed to pay 
to the Sacs and Foxes three thousand dollars each ; to the 



26 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Sioux, two tliousaud dollars; to the Yankton and Santee bands 
of Sioux, three thousand dollars; to the Omahas, two thousand 
five hundred dollars ; and to the Otoe and Missouris, two thou- 
sand five hundred dollars, to be paid annually for 
ten successive years. In addition to these annuities the 
United States agreed to provide other advantages for some of 
the tribes joining in the treaty. This treaty was made by 
William CUark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs ; and Col. 
Willoughby Morgan, of the United States First Infantry. It 
went into effect by proclamation February 24, 1831. So much 
for the treaty by which the territory of w^e&tern Iowa passed 
from the jurisdiction of the Indians to the government of the 
United States, 



CHAPTER II. 

TKKATY OF 1851 .MINNESOTA RK8KKVATIOX 

UPPER AND I.0WP:R AGENCIES THE WAIIPEKUTAII 

SIOUX WAMDISAPPl AND TlIK OITLAW BAND 

LEAVE THE MAIN TRIBE AT WAM DISAPPl's 

DEATH SIDOMINADOTAK BECOMES CHIEF HAS 

TROUBLE WITH LOTT NEAR MOUTH OF BOONE 

RIVER LOTT MURDERS THE CHIEF's ENTIRE 

FA^IIEY SOME EXTRACTS FROM HAKVEY IXO- 

HAm's "scraps of early history" INKPADU- 

TAII BECOMES CHIEF STRAINED RELATIONS BE- 
TWEEN HIS BAND AND THE SETTLERS. 

X IS.')! aiiotlior treaty was made witli tlio Sioitx hv tlip 
]n-()visi()ns of which thev agreed to relinquish to the 
United States their remaining title to all land in the state 
of Iow.a, and also their title to all lands in Minnesota, ex- 
cept what constituted their reservation. A careful examina- 
tion of the terms of this treaty and the preceding ones would 
seem to justify the conclusion that, so far as Towa is concerned, 
this treaty was intendlnd to Ix^ somewhat of the nature of a quit- 
claim deed given for the ])urpose of healing defects in a for- 
mer conveyance. As before stated, there were four hands of 
these Sioux and they had their reservation on the .Minnesota 
Itiver. It was composed of a strip of land t(Mi miles wide on 
each side of the river and extending from a short distance helow 
Fort Ridgley to the source of that river. There were two 
agencies known as the Upper and Lower Agencies. The Lower 
Agency was located on the Minnesota River about five milei-^ 
below the Redwood River and thirteen miles above Fort Ridg- 
ley, and the Upper Agency on the Yellow Medicine River, 




28 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

about three miles from its mouth. Two bands received their 
annuities at the Lower and two at the Upper Agency. 

The Wahpekutahs, the band with which the history of this 
county is most closely identified, had their headquarters at the 
Lower Agency and were therefore known as Lower Sioux. 
Prominent among their chiefs was one Wamdisappi, or Black 
Eagle. He and his immediate followers were savages of such 
ferocity and were so quarrelsome and revengeful that they could 
not live at peace even with the members of their own tribe. It 
was largely through their intrigues and restlessness that the 
war with the Sacs and Foxes was kept up as long as it was, 
and after their removal these turbulent savages turned their 
attention to working up quarrels and dissensions in their own 
band. These quarrels finally culminated in Wamdisappi and 
the more turbulent of his followers leaving the main body and 
striking westward across the Big Sioux and establishing them- 
selves on the Vermilion River, in what is now South Dakota, 
from which point they roamed over the country far and wide, 
often going as far south as the mouth of the Boone River and 
as far east as the Cedar and beyond. In writing of this band, 
Judge Flandrau has this to say of them : "So thoroughly 
were they separated from the rest of tlie iWahpekutahs that when 
the last named Indians, together with the M'daywakautons, made 
their treaty at Mendota in 1851, by which they ceded the lands 
in Minnesota owned by them, the remnant of Wamdisappi's 
people were not regarded as being a part of the Wahpekutahs 
at all and took no part in the treaty." The numerical strength 
of Wamdisappi's band has been variously estimated, some 
placing it as high as five hundred and others as low as one hun- 
dred and fifty. Doubtless the reason for this discrepancy is 
that there were a large number of Indians who would at times 
associate themselves with the outlaws in their predatory excur- 
sions, and then as the time for the payment of the annuities 



LOTT AND SIDOMINADOTAH 29 

approached would unite themselves with the Agency Indians 
for the purpose of sharing in the annuities. 

.Vmong the followers of Wamdisappi was a chief known as 
Sidominadotah, or "Two Fingers," who eventually became 
leader of the band. While his headquarters were on the Ver- 
milion, his favorite haunts were in the neighborhood of the 
lakes and along the Des Moines and Little Sioux Rivers. They 
were known as far east as Prairie du Chien and as far south 
and southwest as Council Blutfs, and wrre universally regarded 
as a bad lot. ^Tany and varied were the difficulties with the 
early settlers all along the frontier line. These difficulties 
v»'ere the source of a vast deal of annoyance, anxiety and appre- 
hension on the part of the settlers. 

Among others who had received indignities from this band 
was one Henry Lott, whom Judge Fulton characterizes as "a 
rough, unscrupulous border character," who in 1846 settled 
near the mouth of Boone River in Webster County. His chief 
occupation seems to have been selling poor whisky to the In- 
dians. He was also accused of stealing horses, as in 1848 
some horses stolen from the Indians were traced to his cabin. 
Other lawless acts were also charged to him. This so irritated 
and enraged the savages that they determined to drive him out 
of the country. It would be avoH to remember here that this 
was not on Sioux territory at all, but was south of the Xeutral 
Ground, on land but recently vacatcnl by the Sacs and Foxes. 
Lott was soon waited on by the chief and a party of his men 
and informed that he was regarded as an intruder and given 
a certain mnnber of days in which to leave their hunting 
grounds. The Tn<lians now went away, but Lot! did not see 
proper to leave. .Vt the expiration of the appointed time the 
Indians returned, and, tinding Lott still there, commenced to 
destroy his property. They shot his hors(>s and cattl(\ robbed 
his bee hives, threatened his familv and drove him and his 



30 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

step-son from homo, carrvini!' things with a high hand generally. 
After Lott and his step-son had left the honse, a younger boy, 
Milton Lott, a lad of about twelve years of age, attempted to 
follow them. It was in December. The night was intensely 
cold, and after following them for some miles the boy became 
exhausted and froze to death. This embitt<n'ed Lott .against 
the Indians to an intense degree. After a short time he re- 
turned to the old place and remained there until after the death 
of his wife, which" occurred a few years later, after which he 
changed his location, and in IS.^.S he and his ste})-son settled 
at Lott's Creek, on the east branch of the I)es Moines River, 
in Humboldt County. They had been established there but a 
short time when Sidominadotah and his family of nine per- 
sons pitched their camp a short distance l)elo\v on the other 
side of the river. 

Burning with the desire to avenge the injuries they had re- 
ceived from this chief and his band five years liefore at the 
mouth of the Boone Tiiver, they conceived the diabolical plot 
of destroying the entire party. To accomplish this they 
went to the chief's lodge and reportcMl that they had 
seen a herd of elk feeding on the bottom, and asked 
him to go with them and try to get one. He, suspecting 
nothing, prepared at once to accompany them. When some dis- 
tance from the chief's lodge they shot liim dead on the s])ot. 
After nightfall tlu^v returned to liis lodge an<l murdered tlic 
balance of tli<' family, inclnding tlie age*! mother of the chief, 
except two children, one a girl about ten years of age and a 
boy still older. The little girl had concealed herself in some 
bnshes, and the boy they hail left for dead on the gronml, but 
he recovered. This boy was afterwai'd known to the fi-onti(M" 
.«ettlers as "Indian Josh," and lived some time witli a family, 
on the west fork of the I)es Moines in Palo Alto County, by 
the name of Carter. After finishing their terrible work, Lott 



MILITARY rOSTS 31 

and liis stop-son loaded what tli(\v could of their ]iortal)les into 
a wagon and the balance they piled up in their cabin and set 
it on fire, then hitching- their mules to the wagon they left the 
])lace. Following- down the divide between the Des Moines 
and J^oone ]\ivers, thcv coiitimicd their course in a southerly 
direction until they struck the great overland trail to Cali- 
fornia, which was then thronged with emigrants. Joining a 
party of these, they crossed the })lains to California, where 
it is said Lott was shortly afterwards killed in a quarrel. The 
murder of the chief was not discovered for two weeks, and it was 
later still before it was known the Lotts were the guilty parties, 
and they were so far on their way by tliat time that no pursuit 
was attempted. 

Inasmuch as everything calculated to throw light upon the 
relations existing between the settlers and the Sioux, during 
this interesting period, becomes more valuable as the difficulty 
in the way of securing correct information increases, the fol- 
lowing extracts from Harvey Ingham's "Scraps of Early His- 
tory," published in the Upper Des ^loines, will be read with 
interest : 

"Fort Dodge was established as the frontier outpost of 
northern Iowa in 1850, just four years .after Fort Des ^Moines 
was abandoned. Fort Des ]\[oines was located in 1848 and 
occupied by troops until 18-t(), the years during which the Sacs 
and Foxes were being removed from the state. Between the 
occupancy of the two forts the Sioux came prominently into 
notice, driving out every white man who attempted to push 
into tlieir territory and trying to stem the tide of emigration 
to the Northwest. The event which, more than any other, led 
to the establishment of the fort, was old Sidominadotah's attack 
ii])on Marsh, a governnuMit surveyor, in 1848. Sidominadotah 
is one of the cons])icuous tigures in our pioneer history, lie 
was a brother of Inki)a(lutah and leader of a band of Wahpe- 
kutah outlaws. He was commonly called Chief Two Fingers, 
having lost the remainder of his right hand in battle, ^fajor 
Williams knew him well and has left an accurate descrii>tion 



32 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

of him. He says : 'Sidominadotab was a man about five feet 
ten in height, stout and well formed, very active, had a pierc- 
ing black eye, broad face and high -cheek boucs.' The major 
adds an item to the description which certainly entitles Sido- 
minadotah to be called the man with the iron jaw: 'Both rows 
of teeth were double all around in both jaws.' A dentist could 
•have paid off all of the old scores of the white race at one sit- 
ting. When killed he was forty-five or fifty years of age. He 
evidently was the leader of all the bands of the northern Sioux 
at that time, or, at least, held a prominent place among the 
leaders, for nearly all the attacks upon the whites who began 
1o invade the territory north and west of Des Moines were led 
by him." 

Here follows the detailed account of the attack on the sur- 
veying party when their instruments were destroyed, their sup- 
plies taken from them and they were obliged to abandon their 
work. Mr. Ingham's account continues: 

"Marsh made a report to the government which, taken in 
connection with reports of other outrages, caused the order to 
bring troops into the ISTorthwest. * * * Brigadier Gen- 
eral Mason was orckn-ed in 184!) to locate the new fort as nearly 
as possible to the northwest corner of the Neutral Ground. 
He chose the site where the city of Fort Dodge now stands and 
named the new post Fort Clarke. In 1851 General. Winfield 
Scott changed the name to Fort Dodge, in honor of General 
Henry Dodge." (Another reason for the change of name was that 
there was another Fort ('lark<* in the southwest, and a great 
(leal of annoyance was occasioned by supplies that were intended 
for one going wrong and eventually reaching tlie other.) "Com- 
pany E of the Sixth Infantry, U. S. A., came from Fort Snell- 
ing to occupy it. With this company Major Williams came 
as sutler. When the pioneer history of nortliwestern Iowa is 
written, INFajor Williams will be the central figure. He was 
])art of all that happened in the early years. * * * When 
after three years and a half Fort Dodge was abandoned and the 
troops were ordered north to bnihl Fort Kidgley, he renniined, 
and buying the groun<l iind bnildings of the dismantled forti- 
fications, founded the city which perpetuates its name. Fort 
Dodge was then and afterwards the central point in the upper 



SCRAPS OF EARLY HISTORY 33 

Des Moines region. ]\[ajor Williams was associated intimately 
with all the stirring events along the entire frontier. * * * 

'"During the ;years of occupancy of the fort, INIajor Williams 
became acquainted with the various Sioux bands and their lead- 
ers, lie has left very interesting descriptions of the latter. 
His estimate of the character of the outfit tallies with that 
before given of the Wahpekutahs. 'The Sioux Indians,' 
he says, 'who inhabited this district of country, were 
the most desperate characters, made up of renegades 
from all the bands.' They were generally very active, 
stout Indians, and great horsemen. The majority of them 
were well armed with guns. They always had in their posses- 
sion horses an<l mules with white men's brands. They gener- 
ally encamped on high ground where they could not be easily 
surprised, and when any number of them were together, they 
encamped in a circle. They were very expert hunters. Their 
famous leaders, Sidominadotah and Tnkpadut.ah, were very 
stout, active men, also Titonka and Fmpashota ; in fact, all of 
them. Of Inkpadutah, who led in the Spirit Lake Massacre, 
and who was present in person at the raid on Mr. Call and the 
settlers south of Algona in 185,5, he says: 'Inkpadutah was 
about fifty-five years old, .about five feet eleven inches in height, 
stoutly built, broad shouldered, high cheek bones, sunken and 
very black sparkling eyes, big mouth, light copper color and 
pockmarked in the face.' 

"Umpashota is of scarcely less interest, as he is the Indian 
who visited with W. H. Ingham three days on the upper Des 
^foines when each one was figuring on who was in charge of the 
expedition, and his name is also associated with the legend of 
Spirit Lake." 

Here follows a description of Umpashota (Smoky Day), 
also of Titonka, or Big Bufi'ali», and Ishtahaba, or Young 
Sleepy Eye : 

"Besides these there were Cosomeneh, dark, silent, stealthy : 
Wahkonsa, Umpashota's son, a dude, ]iainting his cheeks, 
forehead and chin with stars; Modocaquemon, Tnkpadntah's 
oldest son, who was shot for his ]nirt in the Spirit Lake ^las- 
sacre, with low forehead, scowling face and thick lips; ^Foco- 
poco, Inkpadutah's second son, sullen and ill-favored. * * * 
The soldiers were ordered to leave the fort in Sei)tember, 185.'*. 



34 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

"" * * It was after the abandonment of the fort that the 
outrages most intimately associated with our early history 
v»'ere perpetrated. Of those, by far the most important in its 
after eifeets was the murder of Sidominadotah and his family 
by Henry Lott, at Bloody linn, in Humboldt County, in Janu- 
CiYj, 1854.- Major Williams records one fact in connection 
with the Sioux that is very singular. In all the raids made by 
them a very large negro was a prominent particij)ant. The 
soldiers tried often to capture him, but failed. He was one of 
the boldest and most reckless of the savages in every outrage 
that was perpetrated in these years." 

More space has been given the foregoing extracts than was 
at lirst intended, but really relial)lo information is so dithcult 
to obtain that it was deemed best to use what was available. 

Upon the deatli of Sidominadotah, his brother, Inkpadutah, 
sometimes known as Scarlet Point or Ked End, became chief 
of the Ijaiid. This chief was known to 1)0 l)okl, reckless, cruel 
and l)]oodtliirsty, and it is not difhcult to imagine the effect 
such a tragedy as the one heretofore related would have upon 
a character such as he. It is a well known characteristic of 
all the aboriginal tribes that if they cannot take their revenge 
on the party from Avhom they received their injuries, they 
are ready to wreak their vengeance upon the first, party they 
come in contact with, no matter how innocent. ^lany 
an honest and industrious frontiersman has had to 
pay with his life for the wrong done by some reckless, 
worthless, ui)sern])nlous, border character just out of pure wan- 
tonness. It is the same old story so often repeated in our fron- 
tier history. In view of the condition of affairs just related, 
the relations between this hand of Indians and the settlers will 
be readily nndei-stood to be anything l)nt cordial. It is but 
natural to presume tlnit the arrogant and imperious character 
of Inkpadutah drove many of the more peaceably inclined 
Indians out of his band. It is possible, too, that the prospect 
of being deprived of their annuities sent a great nundx'r of this 



UNFRIENDLY RELATIONS 35 

1)1111(1 back to the main trihe. At anv rate tlic numerical 
strength of the band became rapidly depleted. AVhat had been 
a tribe of respectable strength was soon reduced t<» a few fami- 
lies of stragglers. The strength of the band, after the death 
of Sidominadotah, has been variously estiinatcMl at from fifty to 
one hundred and fifty. Tn 185() if dwindU'd down lu'low the 
lowest fignre. 

Jndge Flandran, who was Indian Agent at tluit time, says 
of them: ''By 1857 all that remained of Wamdisappi's band 
was nnder the chieftainship of Ink])ailiifah, or Scarlet Point, 
sometimes called Red End. Tn August, lSr>(», T received the 
appointment of Fnited States Indian Agent for the Sioux of 
the Mississipi)i. The agencies fen- these Indians were on the 
^Minnesota River at Redwood and on the ^'('llo\\" Medicine River 
a few miles fr<»m its nioutli. Having been on tlie frontier 
sometime previous to such appointment, I had become quite 
familiar with the Sioux and knew in a general way of Inkpa- 
dutah and his band, its habits and wherealxmts. They ranged 
the country far and wide and were considered a bad lot of 
vagabonds. In 18r)('» they came to the payment and demandeil 
a share of the money of the Wahpekutahs, and made a great deal 
of trouble, but were forced to return to their haunts on the 
Big Sioux and adjoining ctnintry. To this Mrs. Sharp adds: 
'According to the ni(»sf antlientic testimony collected by Major 
Prichette, Ink])adnfali came to the Sioux Agency in the fall of 
1855 and received annuities for eleven persons, although he 
was not identified with any band.' " 

It may seem singular to sonu^ that in ])r(^j)aring a history tif 
Dickinson County so much time ami s])ace should be given to 
people and events wholly outside of the county. It may also 
seem that too much s])ace has been given in endeavoring to set 
forth who Inkpadutah and his band were, their relations to 
the Agency Indians, also the strained relations between tlu'iii 



36 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

and the settlers, aiul the cause thereof. This may be true, but 
it is the experience of the writer that many of the tourists 
who visit the lakes from year to year are entirely ignorant of 
the facts in the matter and are also desirous of correct infor- 
mation on all of these points, and more questions are asked 
first and last involving a knowledge of them than any 
others. Many have expressed surprise that more has not been 
preserved, and that more is not known of the personal char- 
acter and personal history of individual Indians who in an 
early day made these lakes their favorite rendezvous. This is 
accounted for in the strained and unfriendly relations existing 
between the settlers and the Sioux. The fraternal rela- 
tions which so long existed between the Sacs and Foxes 
on the one side and the pioneer settlers of eastern and central 
Towa on the other, were entirely wanting on the northwestern 
frontier, and consequently very little is or can be knowu of the 
individual Indians who pitched their tepees in the groves, 
fished in the lakes and hunted on the prairies of northwestern 
Iowa. However, some enterprisfng real estate and hotel men 
have recently endeavored to supply this lack of real knowledge 
on these points by fictitious inventions of their own. Of late 
a great many questions are asked about Okoboji. Who was he? 
Where were the headcpuirters of his band ? How many war- 
riors were among his followers^ and a thousand and one other 
questions which nobody but inipiisitive summer tourists would 
think of. 

A large mound on the west side of the lake has l)een j)ointed 
out to the credulous and unsuspecting summer resorter as 
being the last resting ])la('e of the great chief, or, in oth:er 
words, as the grave of Okoboji. Andtitious correspondents of 
the Capital City papers have, at difierent times, tried their 
hands at writing up glowing accounts of their visits to the 
grave of the mythical chief, and many doubtless believe that the 



INKPADUTAH AND HIS BAND 37 

representations made to them are true, and that the lake was 
actually named for a brave and ix)werful warrior who once 
lived in its groves and was buried in the mound on its western 
border, where his supposed resting place is pointed out hy the 
obliging guide to the unsophisticated and inquisitive traveler. 
Xow this is all pure fiction. There is not one particle of truth 
in it. So far as can be ascertained, no such chief as Okoboji 
was ever known to the Sioux, and no such Indian ever lived in 
the neighborhood of the lakes. 

It will be remembered that the death of Sidominadotah 
occurred in January, 1854, and that the chieftainship fell to 
Inkpadutah at that time. We know but little of the wander- 
ings of Inkpadutah's band from then until the fall of 1856. 
The troubles in the neighborhood of Clear Lake, which finally 
culminated in what is known as the "Grindstone War," were 
in the summer of 1854. Harvey Ingham, in an article in the 
Midland Monthly, has this to say of their movements in 1855 : 
"Major Williams expresses the opinion that but for tlie rapid 
influx of settlers an attack would have been made on Fort 
Dodge in 1855. As it was, Inkpadutah and his followers con- 
tented themselves with stripping trappers and surveyors, steal- 
ing horses, and foraging on scattered settlers, always maintain- 
ing a hostile and threatening attitude. Many pages of the 
Midland would be required for a brief enumeration of the petty 
annoyances, pilferings and more serious assaults which (Oc- 
curred. At Dakota City, in Humboldt County, the cabin of 
E. ]\[cKnight was rifled in the spring of 1855. Further north, 
within a few miles of Algona, the cabin of Malaehi Clark was 
entered, and the settlers gathered in great alarm to drive out 
the Indians — a band of eighty braves led by Inkpadutah in 
person. Still further north, near where Bancroft stands, W. 
H. Ingham was captured by Umpashota, a leader under Ink- 



38 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

pndatah in the massacre, and was held a prisoner for three 
days." 

Judge Fulton writes of this same period as follows: ''Dur- 
ing the same summer (1855) Chief Inkpadutah and his 
band, comprising about fifty lodges, encamped in the timber 
near where Algona now stands. They occasionally pillaged 
tlie cabins of the white settlers in that vicinit3\ At last the 
whites notified them to leave, which they did reluctantly. They 
returned no more to that vicinity except in small hunting ])ar 
ties." 







CHAPTER III. 

DICKINSON COUNTY NAME IIKST EXPLORA- 
TION FRENCH TRADERS LEWIS AND CLARKE 

NICOLLET AND FREMONT THE FAMOUS ASTRO- 
NOMICAL OBSERVATION THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT 

SETTLEMENT IN 185G SETTLE:NrK.NTS IN ADJOIN- 
ING COUNTIES. 

ICKINSOI^^ COUNTY was named in honor of Hon. 
Daniel S. Dickinson, formerly United States Senator 
from the state of ISTew York. The stndent of political 
history will be at no loss to fix the date of the naming 
of the connties of Iowa, fully fifteen per cent, or 
about one-sixth, of which were named for prominent 
men in the councils of the nation about the mid- 
dle of the ]S'ineteenth Century. Benton, Buchanan, Calhoun, 
Cass, Clayton, Dickinson, Polk, Dallas, Wright and Woodbury, 
together with several others, all smack strongly of the same 
period, the forties and fifties. How long the country had 
been known, or what was known of the country at that time, 
it is difficult to find out. In endeavoring to investigate this 
subject we are at once brought face to face with the fact that 
but very little has been written and that very little is known 
about it. Spirit Lake has been known of for a Inn id red years, 
and how much longer, we don't know. The time when it 
passes from legend to history is the early part of the Nineteentli 
Century. An interesting and instructive ]iaper written by 
Prof. Charles Keyes for the October, 1898, number of the An- 
nals of Iowa, in discussing the origin and meaning of the word 
Des Moines, as applied to the Des Moines River, uses this lan- 
guage: "At the beginning of the present century the Des 



40 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Moines River was one of the princijial rentes of travel to and 
from the N'orthwest. St. Lonis was the great trading post of 
the region. The Indian .and French voyageurs paddled their 
eanoes up-stream, passing through several little lakes near the 
headwaters and then on to the Hudson Bay region. This was 
a waterway practically unobstructed from the northern fur 
country to the lower Mississipj)i." 

The article which occupies six pages of the Annals of Iowa 
is illustrated with three maps, the largest one of which was 
copied from an old map made as early as 1720. This map 
shows the Des Moines as much larger than either the Missis- 
sippi or Missouri, and as having its source in a lake many times 
larger than the combined area of all the lakes in Iowa. The 
question at once arises. Did any of the early travelers in their 
journeys from the Mississipjji Valley to the Saskatchawan 
country ever go so far to one side of their usual route as to 
pass through the lake region ? It is more than probable that 
they did, but if so, when was it done and where is the record ? 

The famous Lewis and Clarke expedition up the Missouri 
River was made in 1804. The Louisiana Purchase was made 
in 1803, and this expedition was fitted out for the purpose of 
examining and rejiorting on the character and resources of the 
newly acquired jjossessious. They had for their guide and in- 
terpreter a Frenchman by the name of M. Durion, who lunl 
been much with the Indians and spoke the Dacotah language 
fluently. He imparted to them a vast deal of information 
relative to the country adjoining that through which they were 
passing. This information thoy made a record of and have 
given it to the public. While his statements are not strictly 
accurate in all particulars, they are sufficiently so to convince 
any person that he had a pretty good general idea of the geog- 
raphy of the country, whether he had ever seen it or not. 

Judge Fulton, in the "Ried Men of Iowa," writing on this 



FIRST ACCOUNTS OF THE LAKE REGION 41 

subject, says : *'Lewis and Clarke's French interpreter described 
other localities in the country of the Sioux nation now known 
to be within the boundaries of Iowa, with sufficient accuracy 
to warrant the conclusion that he had some knowledge of the 
geography of the country, though not strictly accurate in some 
respects. He described the Little Sioux as having its source 
within nine miles of the Des Moines, as passing through a large 
lake nearly sixty miles in circumference and dividing it into two 
parts which approach each other very closely, as being very 
irregular in its width, as having many islands, and as being 
known by the name of Lac D'Esprit, or Spirit Lake. This 
lake in the country of the Sioux, from the earliest knowledge 
of white men the chief seat of one of the Sioux tribes, is novv' 
known by the name of Spirit Lake and Lake Okoboji." So far 
as can be ascertained, this is the first and oldest written ac- 
count of the Spirit Lake region. The region must have been, 
and doubtless was, frequently visited by hunters, trappers and 
adventurers during the early part of the century, but they left 
no written account of their explorations or discoveries. The 
treaties relative to the "!N'eutral Line" and the "N'eutral 
Ground," which were intended to define the boundary between 
tJbe country of the Sacs and Foxes on the south and the Sioux 
on the north, were negotiated, the former in 1825 and the latter 
in 18.30, but whether these lines were surveyed or even exam- 
ined at the time, we are in total ignorance. 

The first really authentic account we have of the lake region 
is that contained in the official report of the government ex- 
ploring expedition by the younger !N"icollet. During Van 
Buren's administration Nicollet was appointed by the Secretary 
of War to make a map of the hydrographic basin of the upper 
Mississippi River. The appointment was made on the Yth day 
of April, 1838. Tn the body of liis report, speaking of the Lit- 
tle Sioux, he uses the following language: "It has been here- 



42 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



IOWA 



lofore designated as the Little Sioux, and has its origin from 
a group of lakes, the most important of which is called hy the 
Sioux 'Minnie Waukon,' or 'Spirit Water,' hence its name of 
Spirit Lake." ^N^icollet makes no mention of the Okobojis, hut 
simply designates the whole group of them by the single name 
"Spirit Lake." In another portion of the report tlie following 
astronomical observation is recorded : 



Place of 

observation: 

Spirit Lake, 

about the 

middle of 

the northern 

shore. 


Altitude 

above the 

Gulf of 

Mexico 


North 
Latitude 


Longitude West 
from Greenwich 

In Time In Arc 


Authority 


13 lo feet 


43° 30' 21^^ 


h m s 
6 20 26 


95° 6^ zo'' 


Nicollet 



It will be readily seen that the 23oint from which this obser- 
vation was taken cannot be far from where Crandall's Lodge 
was afterwards located. It is not at all probable that many, if 




NORTH SHORE OF SPIRIT LAKE 
Where the observation by Nicollet and Fremont was taken. 



THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION 43 

any, of the Inuulreds of visitors who every summer sport on 
the sandy beacli or l)ath(' in the crystal waters of that cluirni- 
ing region are aware that they are treading on ground made 
historic by reason of its being the first of which any mention 
is made or record preserved in all northwestern Iowa. 

The old Nicollet maps, or imperfect copies of them, were 
much in evidence back in the fifties. They showed the larger 
portion of Spirit Lake as being north of the state line. The 
state line was not surveyed until several years after these maps 
were made and consequently the northern boundary of the 
state had not then been determined. ISTicollet's assistant and 
companion in this expedition was a man with whose name the 
world has since become familiar, being none other than General 
John C. Fremoiit, then a young engineer in the service of the 
United States, afterwards tlif> gallant "Pathfinder of the 
Rockies," the first republican candidate for the presidency, 
and a prominent major general in the Union army during the 
War of the Rebellion. It is more than probable that the ob- 
servation before noticed was taken by hini and the record made 
in his handwriting. If this be so, it can be safely asserted that 
John C. Fremont was the first explorer of the Spirit Lake re- 
gion to give to the world an account of his discoveries. From 
this time on the lakes were frequently visited by hunters, trap- 
pers and adventurers up to the time wlion the state was ad- 
mitted to the Union in 1846. 

The foregoing accounts embody all that is known of the early 
explorations of the lake region. The fact that this region wa<^ 
the favorite resort of the Wahpekutah branch of theYankton- 
Sinux has already been referred to. In the early days it was 
a well understood fact that the Indians regarded Spirit Lake 
with a kind of superstitious, reverential awe. The Indian 
name, "^linnie Waukon," signifying Spirit Water, is proof 
of this if there were no other, and the earl}'' trap- 



44 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



IOWA 



pers and adventurers agree in ascribing to (hem a be- 
lief in varions legends and traditions to the etTect 
that the lake was nnder the guardian watch care of a "Great 
Spirit," that its waters were continually troubled and that no 
Indian ever ventured to cross it in his canoe. That some be- 
lief of this kind existed is certain ; to what extent is un- 
known. It may be regarded as a singular circumstance, but it 
is a fact, nevertheless, that no Indian canoe was ever found by 
the early settlers in the vicinity of the lakes. The veil of mys- 
tery, the shadow of uncertainty, the tinge of the supernatural, 
which rested on this enchanted region, early excited the interest 
and attracted the attention of the restless and hardy pioneers, 
who were thereby induced to strike out far beyond the confines 
of civilization and make homes for themselves and their pos- 
terity in this land of romance and this region of mystery. 




(From an old photograph.) 



THE GARDNER CABIN. 



FIRST SETTLEMENT 45 

On tlie 16th of July, 1856, Rowland Gardner, from Cerro 
Gordo County, in this state, and his son-in-law, Harvey Luce, 
came in and made claims and erected cabins adjacent to what 
was then known as the Gardner Grove. The Gardner house is 
still standing. It was occupied for several years by Rev. 
Samuel Pillsbury, and is now occupied, during the summer 
season, by Mrs. Abbie Gardner Sharp. James Mattock and 
his family, with several others from Delaware County, in this 
state, settled in the grove south of the Okoboji bridge, which 
was then known as Mattock's Grove, taking its name from Es- 
(piire ]\rattock, one of the principal and most influential men 
in the settlement. About the same time a party came in from 
Red Wing, Minnesota, consisting of William Granger, Carl 
Granger, Bert Snyder and Doctor Harriott, and located on the 
point on the north side of the Okoboji bridge. Their cabins 
stood upon what is now the right of way of the Chicago, Mil- 
waukee & St. Paul Railroad, about half way between the lake 
shore and the depot. The Grangers claimed the point and the 
land along East Okoboji Lake; Harriott, the Maple Grove 
on West Okoboji Lake, and Snyder, Center Grove. Center 
Grove was known as Snyder's Grove for some time after the 
settlement subsecpient to the massacre. Mr. Joseph ^L That- 
cher, from Hampton, Franklin (^)unty, l)ut formerly from 
Howard County, Indiana, about this time settled at the iioi'th 
end of what is now called Tuseulum Grove. His cabin for- 
merly stood a little north of the present residence of II. D. 
Arthur. At the same time Joel Howe settled at the south end 
of the grove, lu'ar the present residence of Mr. Ladu. Tii 
September a ^Ir. ^larble, from Linn County, this atate, settled 
upon the west bank of Spirit Lake in the grove now owned by 
J. S. Polk. This grove was for years known as .\hirl)le (Jrove. 
These comprise all of the settlements mad<' i)rior to ISaT. 

Ill order to avoid confusion a recajjitnlation may be desirable. 



46 DICKINSON COUNTY IOWA 

First. The party consisting of Granger brothers, Harriott 
and Snyder resided north of the straits, where the Okoboji 
bridge now stands. The track of the Milwaukee Railroad runs 
through the site of their cabin. They were all young men 
without families except William Granger, and his family was 
not here. There was also stopping with them temporarily at 
the time of the massacre a young man by the name of Joseph 
Harshman. 

Second. The family of Mr. Mattock, consisting of himself, 
wife and five children, resided at the south end of the Okoboji 
bridge. There were .also residing with him a Mr. Mattison, 
Avbo had taken a claim upon the west side of Okoboji Lake, 
on what was for a long time known as Madison Grove. Tlie 
family of Mr. Madison remained in Delaware (^)unty during 
the winter, expecting to join him in the spring. 

Third. The family of Mr. Gardner, consisting of himself, 
wife and four children (the oldest being the wife of Mr. Luce), 
and Mr. Luce, his wife and two children, resided in what was 
long known as the Gardner house, now occupied by Mrs. Sharp. 
There was also stopping temporarily with Mr. Gardner a young 
man from Waterloo by the name of Clark, also a young man 
by the name of Wilson, who afterwards became the husband of 
Eliza Gardner. 

Fourth. The family of Joel Howe, consisting of himself, 
wife and seven children (the oldest being the wife of ^Ir. 
ISToble), resided in a cabin near the present residence of Mr. 
T^adu, .at the south end of Tusculum Grove. 

Fifth. The family of J. M. Thatcher, consisting of himself, 
wife and one child ; and the family of Mr. ll^oble, consisting 
of himself and wife and one child, resided in a cabin at the 
north end of Tusculum Grove, on the place now owned by H. 
D. Arthur. There was also boarding with Mr. Tluiti'lier ;; 



NEIGHBORING SETTLKMENTS 47 

trapper \>y tlic name of Morris Markham, a Mr. Kyaii, who was 
a brothor-iii-law of ^^fr. Xoble; ami a ItrotlH-r-iu-law of ^Tr. 
Thatcher by the name of Burteli. 

Sixth. The family of Mr. ^larble, consisti!ii>- of lii'ii«']f 
and wife, resided in a cabin located in the grove on the ridge 
between Spirit Lake and ^larble Lake. 

From the alwve it will Ijo seen that over forty persons, n.m, 
women and children, were dispersed in the various localities 
adjacent to the lakes. It has been deemed advisable to be thus 
particular in ])oinring out the location of the different families 
and the number of persons connected with each, from the face 
that the massacre in the spring of 1857 is the one important 
event in the early history of this county, and the one about 
which travelers and strangers make the most intpiiries; and at 
the sauK^ time, the one almut wliieli they get tlu^ least reliable 
information. 

It may assist our understanding of affairs at the lakes by 
knowing something of surrounding settlements. The same 
year that the first settlement was attempted here, namely, in 
185G, some six or eight families had settled on the Des Moines 
River in Jackson County, near Avhere the town of Jackson now 
stands. They called their settlement Springfield. It was 
about fourteen miles from Marble's, and about twenty uiiU'S 
from the l»alance of the lake settlements. In Emmet Ccuinty 
George Granger had built a good sized cabin four miles above 
where Estherville now stands, and there was a small cabin 
between his place and the river occupied by a couple of trap- 
pers. There were also two or three cabins in the neighborhood of 
High Lake, There was no settlement at Estherville until 1857. 
There was a small settlement eighteen miles east of EstJier- 
ville, at Chain Lakes, known as ''Tuttle's Grove." In the 
same year (1856) an Irish colony came from Kane Couniy, 
Illinois, and settled on the Des Moines liiver in Valo Alto 



48 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

(-■ounty. Between there and Fort Dodge there were cabins 
along the river from two to five miles apart occupied by set- 
tlers and trappers. To the south of the lakes the first settle- 
ment was at Gillett's Grove, about thirty miles distant, where 
two brothers by the name of Gillett had brought in a large herd 
of cattle, which they were wintering there. From Gillett's 
Grove to Peterson there were some eight or ten families scat- 
tered along the groves that skirt the river. Waterman, four 
miles below Peterson, was the only person between there and 
Cherokee. Below Cherokee there were settlements every few 
miles to the Missouri. There was no settlement to the north or 
west. From Cherokee west there was no settlement until the 
Floyd was reached some ten miles above Sioux City. 




ciiAPTEij rv. 

THE PARTY FROM JASPER COUXTY THEY EN- 
COUNTER A PART OF INKPADUTAIl's BAND AT LOON 
LAKE THE EXPOSED CONDITION OF THE FRON- 
TIER NECESSITY FOR PROTECTION GOVERNOR 

GRIMES APPEALS TO CONGRESS AND THE PRESI- 
DENT HIS APPEAL UNHEEDED THE TERRIBLE 

WINTER OF 1856 AND 1857 INKPADUTAIl's BAND 

GO SOUTH THE TROUBLE AT SMITIILAND DIF- 
FERENT VERSIONS THE INDIANS START UP TIIK 

RIVER TROUBLE AT PETERSON AND IN BUENA 

VISTA COUNTY GILLETt's GROVE GILLETt's 

ACCOUNT AS GIVEN IN THE HISTORY OF CLAY 

COUNTY SETTLERS SEND TO FORT DODGE FOR 

ASSISTANCE DUNCOMBe's ACCOUNT THE IN- 
DIANS ARRIVE AT THE LAKES THEIR NUMBER 

ACCOUNTS DIFFER. 



X TTIF! nioiitli of Xovember, 185(). i\ ]);irty from Jasper 
County, in this state, consisting of (). C. Howe, R. U. 
Wlieclock and B. P. Parmontcr, under tlie guidance of 
a hunter and trapper by rli( iiauic of Wiltfong, made a 
visit to the county and were so captivated by the romantic 
scenery, lovely climate and abundance of game that they de- 
cided to return the coming spring for tlie juirpose of perma- 
nent settlement. They spent some time in tlic vicinity of the 
lakes and returned to tlieir homes just in time to avoid the ter- 
rific storms witli wliich the winter of 1856 and 1857 set in. It 
is to them and to ^Mrs. Abbie Gardner Sharp that we arc in- 
debted for what little we know of the condition of affairs in 
the vicinity of the lakes previous to the massacre. At the time 



50 DICKINSON COUNTY IOWA 

they were liere, in I^ovemLer, Inkpadutah and a part of his fol- 
lowers were camj)ed at the southern extremity of Black Loon 
Lake, in Jackson County, Minnesota. As near as could be 
ascertained at the time, the band consisted of not less than 
fifteen nor more than twenty warriors, with tlieir squaws and 
papooses and the usual aj^purtenances of an Indian camp. This 
band has been pretty thoroughly described and their relations 
to tlie settlers can now be pretty well understood. They were 
known as a thieying, pilfering band of tramps and outlaws, 
/hoyering along the border dividing the whites from the Indians 
They acknowledged the authority of neither. In their contact 
with ciyilization they had imbibed the eyil and rejected the 
good. They possessed the vices of both races and the virtues 
of neither. It will require no stretch of the imagination to 
understand the feelings of bitterness, hatred and revenge on 
the one side, and that of distrust, apprehension and fear on the 
other, existing between the Indians and the settlers along the 
border. Under the circumstances it would be perfectly natural 
for the settlers to look to the general government for protection 
and defense. Other Indians besides Inkpadutah's band occa- 
sionally made excursions along the frontier, but they were 
without exception on friendly terms with the settlers. 

liepeated appeals were made to the United States authori- 
ties, both before and after the massacre, for more adequate 
protection to the Iowa frontier. Governor Grimes, during his 
administration (1854-1858), addressed several urgent appeals 
to our senators and representatives in Congress setting forth 
the exposed and hel2)lcss condition of the border settlements. 
As early as January 3, 1855, he sent them a lengthy communi- 
cation in which, among other things, he says : "I have taken the 
responsibility to appoint ]\[ajor Williams, of Fort I)odg(\ a 
kind of executive agent to act for me in protecting Ixitli the 
settlers and the Indians, and particularly to preserve the i)eaco. 



GOV. GRIMES ASKS FOR FRONTIRR PROTF<:CTION 51 

1 li;nl no l('i;al authority to make such ai)p<)iiitnient, but as 
there was iio governiueut agent in that section of the country, 
and as I was so remote from the scene of troul)le and folt tliat 
there should be some one in the vicinity who wcmhl act ])ru- 
dently an<l who could act etticiently, T knew no better coursfi 
than to appoint him as I have indicated." The letter closes 
as follows: ''I trust, gentlemen, yon will stimulate the depart- 
ment at Washington to take immediate steps to remedy the 
evil complained of. We have just cause for complaint. The 
goverinneiit has undertaken to protect our frontiers from the 
Indians with the assurance that this stipulation would be ful- 
filled. Tliat frontier is filled with peaceful citizens, but the 
Indians are suffered to come among them, destroying their 
' ])roperty and jeopardizing their lives. I hope no time will be 
lost in allaying the apprehensions that exist in some i)arts of 
the state on this account. 1 am, gentlemen, very truly your 
obedient servant, James W. Grimes. 

"To Hon. A. C. Dodge, Hon. George W. Jones, Hon. J. P. 
Cook and Hon. B. Henn, Delegation in Congress from Iowa. 
Washington, D. C." 

Xo response whatever was made to this appeal. 

Nearly a year later he made another attempt, this tinu' ad- 
dressing the President. The letter closes as follows: ''A year 
ago the General Assembly of this state uiianiuKUisly asked for 
the establishment of a military post on the Sioux Kiver near 
tiie northwest corner of the state. I concur entirely in the ])ro- 
])riety of that measure. I have no doul)t that two com]ianies 
of dragoons or cavalry stationed there would efiectually pre- 
vent the incursions of the Indians and give quiet to the whole 
of northwestern Iowa. Without such a post they may be re- 
moved, but it does not occur to me how they may be perma- 
nently kept out. I am, very truly with great respect, your 
obedient servant, James W. Grimes. 

"IFon. Franklin Pierce, President of the United States." 



52 DICKINSON COUNTY - lOMA 

This letter was sent something' more than a year previons 
to the massacre and shared the same fate as the former one. 

Hon. Charles Aldrich, in the Annals of Iowa, commentinc; 
on tlie stnj^idity and stnbbornness of the general government 
ill withholding the necessary protection to the frontier, says: 
"Governor James W. Grimes wroto letters to onr United States 
senators and to the autliorities at Washington some time be- 
fore the outbreak of hostilities, asking that the general govern- 
]iient take immediate steps for the protection of onr exposed 
frontiers. Little or no attention Avas paid to his reiterated re- 
quests, and so when the Indians resorted to hostilities our Iowa 
border was wholly without protection. ''' * * Had the earn- 
est appeals of Governor Grimes been heeded, the Spirit Lake 
Massacre would not have occurred. What makes. this neglect 
appear more stupidly and wickedly cruel was the fact that in- 
those days the catching of a runaway negro under the infam- 
ous fugitive Slave Law' was rife in the land, and detach- 
ments of the Federal army or vessels of the United States navy 
could be readily secured to return a slave to his master." 

Tlie winter of 185G and 1857 is one long to be remembered 
by the early settlers of Iowa as the most severe one in the 
annals of its history. The first heavy storm occurred 
early in Decend)er, Avhen snow fell to the depth of nearly two 
feet. This was followed by others in quick succession^ until 
by the first of February the snow had reached a depth of fnnr 
feet. These storms were accompanied with high winds and 
were of the most fearful and violent character. Xothing a])- 
proaching then in intensity has Ikvu exjierienced in the state 
of Iowa since. The settlers at the lakes were but illy ])repare(l 
for such a winter as tliis. We must i-ciuember that there was 
not a foot of huuber to lu' had within a hundred miles and all 
of the floui- and provisions used had to be hauled twice that 
distance. The cabins of the settlers were unfurnished. They 



THE HARD WINTER 63 

were without floors and liad lieavy puncheon doors hung u])()ii 
wooden hinges. But few of the settlers had been able to get. 
in a sufficient supply of provisions when the first storms carae, 
and only succeeded in reaching home on snow shoes, dragging 
wliat little they could on hand sleds or sledges made for the 
occasion. The sufferings and privations endurod at that time 
may be imagined, but they cannot l>e described. 

Inkpadutah and his band left their camp at Loon Lake some 
time in December and went south down the Little Sioux as far 
as Smithland. Two other ])arties of Indians were known to 
have been hovering along the frontier at this time. One, a 
small party of agency Indians, pitched their camp in tlio 
neighborhood of Springfield, now Jackson, Minnesota. \u- 
other party, under Tshtahaba, or Sleepy Eye, camped at Big 
Island Grove. There is no record that Inkpadutalrs l)and ha<1 
any trouble with the settlers on their way down the riv(M-. 
Whether they went by way of the settlements or not, is not 
known. There is no account of their being seen by the settlers 
here at all *>ii tlieir way down the river, and it is more thai; 
probable that they went from the head of Spirit Lake d(nvn 
the divide to Lost Island Lake. IT]) to this time they were 
supposed to be friendly, that is, as friendly as usual. They 
were never cordial ; always sullen and suspicious. The settlers 
at Smithland knew but little, if anything, of the previous trou- 
bles of this band of Indians with the settlers of the older locali- 
ties, and they had no apprehensions of any serious difficulty. 
Various versions arc given of the outbreak at this place. The 
one most generally accepted at tlio time was something as fol- 
lows: Large numbers of cdk had been driven in from the 
prairie by the deep snows and terrific storms. These the In- 
dians surrounded and slaughtered in large numbers. This 
created excitement and indignation among the settlers, and some 
of tbem conceived the idea of driving the Indians awav. To 



54 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

accomplish this they got up a drunken frolic and invited the 
Indians in. They rejDresented themselves as soldiers sent out 
by General Harney to drive them out of the country. At that 
lime the operations of General Harney at Ash Hollow and other 
places had made his name a perfect terror to the Sioux, and 
they became very much alarmed and excited, so much so that 
they started at once on their return, leaving a portion of their 
guns and equipage in the hands of the supposed soldiers. 
When this transaction became known, the more level-headed 
citizens denounced it and did what they could to counteract 
what they feared would be the result. They gathered up the 
guns and other property which the Indians had left behind 
and sent them forward to them, and did what else they could 
to a]:>pease their indignation, but as will soon appear, however, 
all to no purpose. 

Mrs. Sharp says : "It seems that one day, while the Indians 
were in pursuit of elk, they had some difficulty with the set- 
tlers. The Indians claimed that the whites intercepted the 
chase. There is also a report that an Indian was bitten by a 
dog belonging to one of the settlers, that the Indian killed the 
dog and that the man gave the Indian a severe beating. It is 
also said that the settlers whipped off a company of squaws 
who were carrying off hay and corn to feed their ponies. The 
Indians becoming more and more insolent, the settlers in self- 
protection went to the camp and disarmed them, intending to 
return their guns the next day and escort them out of the coun- 
try. But the next morning not a "red-skin" was to be seen. 
They had folded their tents like the Arabs, and as silently stolen 
awa}'." 

Judge Fulton says: "One day wliile a party of them (the 
Indians) were in pursuit of an elk in the vicinity of Smithland, 
they had a difficulty with some white settlers. It is difficult 
to state with certaintv the nature of the trouble," as different 



inkpadutah's band at smithland 55 

and conflicting accounts of it have been given. The Indians, 
however, chiimed that their pursuit of the elk was intercepted 
by the whites, who forced thein to give up their arms and 
availed themselves of the use of their guns in the pursuit of 
the game. This aroused the indignation of the Indians and 
they demanded provisions of the settlers. They continued en- 
camped in the vicinity of Smithland for several days, during 
M'hich time the whites became more and more annoyed by their 
presence. Finally the settlers resorted to strategy to get rid 
of them. At that time the name of General Harney was a 
terror to the Indians of the Northwest, owing to a recent severe 
chastisement some of them had received at his hands. One of 
the settlers donning the old uniform of an army officer made his 
appearance on the opposite side of the Little Sioux fmni thi' 
Indian encampment, while some of the other whites pointed 
him out to the Indians as General Harney and told them he 
was in pursuit of them. This ruse had the desired effect aud 
the Indians hastily moved up the river with their savngc 
nature aroused to a desire for revenge." These accounts, while 
none of them claim to be thoroughly accurate in detail, convey 
a pretty good general idea of the commencement of 
the troubles on the Little Sioux between the Indians 
and settlers. This affair occurred in February, 1857. 
The Indians after leaving Smithland followed up the 
Little Sioux River by way of the settlements and com- 
menced their depredations by taking guns and ammunition 
from the whites, and as they advanced, the settlements becom- 
ing sparser, they became more insolent and fearless in their 
conduct toward the settlers. By the time they reached Clay 
County their depredations had assumed a most savage atid 
atrocious character. 

Their depredations at Peterson are described l)y Mi-. W. ' . 
Gilbraith in liis historv of Clay County, in the following 



56 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA ' 

language: "The Clay County settlers had heard of the depre- 
dations they were committing and were thoroughly alarmed for 
the safety of themselves and their property. When they came 
to the home of Mr. Bicknell and finding no one there, he with 
his family having gone to Mr. Kirchner's, across the river, they 
immediately appropriated everything which met their fancy. 
The next day they made their appearance at the Kirchner 
house, where they found the terror stricken settlers huddled 
together. Without any ceremony they captured all the arms 
to be found, killed the cattle and took what they wanted. After 
remaining in the Peterson settlement a day and a night, they 
pushed on, leaving the whites badly frightened but thankful 
that they had escaped with their lives. This band of blood- 
thirsty Sioux then proceeded to the home of Ambrose Mead, 
who was absent at the time at Cedar Falls. Previous to leav- 
ing for this place, he had arranged to have a Mr. Taylor and 
family remain with Mrs. Mead and children during his stay. 
When the Indians came, Mr. Taylor protested against their 
taking the property or disturbing the premises. Becoming 
angry at Taylor for his interference, they threatened to kill 
him if he did not keep out of the way. Fearing that they 
would carry out their threats, Taylor left the women and chil- 
dren and set out to secure assistance. The Indians killed the 
stock, drove off the ponies and carried the women with them. 
But, fearing they would be pursued and overtaken, they de- 
cided to allow the women to return after taking such liberties 
as the helpless women could not prevent. They then directed 
their steps towards Linn Grove and Sioux Rapids, where they 
subjected the settlers to the same treatment they had given the 
Mead and Taylor families." 

Mrs. Shar]), in her book, relates the same occurrence, as fol- 
lows : "After remaining a few days in Cherokee, where they 
busied themselves witli wantonly shooting cattle, hogs and 



TROUBLE AT PETERSON 57 

fowls and destroying property generally, sometimes severely 
beating those who resisted, they proceeded up the Little Sioiix 
to the little settlement in Clay County, now called Peterson. 
Here they tarried two or three days, committing acts of atroc- 
ity as usual. At the house of A. S. ]\read (Mr. Mead being 
away) they not only killed his cattle and destroyed his prop- 
erty, but knocked down his wife and carried off to their camp 
his daughter Hattie (seventeen years old) and started away 
Avith a younger sister, Emma, but she resisted so hard and cried 
so loud that an Indian picked up a stick and whipped her all the 
way back to the house and left her. At the same house they 
knocked down Mr. E. Taylor, kicked his boy into the fireplace, 
burning him so badly that he still carries the scar on his leg, 
and took his wife off to their camp, but as yet they had com- 
mitted no murder. After one night in an Indian camp, Mrs. 
Taylor and Hattie Mead were permitted to return home." 
From Peterson they passed on up to Sioux Kapids, where simi- 
lar scenes were enacted and similar outrages perpetrated. They 
killed the stock and destroyed everything capable of being do 
stroycd. It was at the home of Abner Bell thai .heir atrocities 
assumed the most fiendish aspect. From Sioux Rapids they 
went up to Gillett's Grove. The Gilletts were two brothers who 
had moved in late in the sninnici', liringing with tlicm a])out 
a hundred head of cattle, intending to go largely into the stock 
business. The Indians nuule more general destruction li-.M-e 
than they had hitherto done. They killed every live animal 
on the place, took all of their bedding, clothing and provisions, 
and destroyed evervtliing they eonhl not take away. They 
even cnt a new wagon to pieces to get tlie bolts. 

The folh^wing highly s<'nsational acconnt is copied from ^fr. 
Gilbraith's "History of Clay County," and while it contains 
statements that are new and strange to those who sujiposed 
tliey were familiar witli the .story of the massacre of IS.")?, it 



58 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

must be accepted as history. There is nothing in it that is im- 
probable or inconsistent with the circumstances as they then 
existed. 

"Mr. Gillett, one of the earliest settlers of the county, and 
for whom Gillett's Grove bears its name, recently visited 
friends in this county and the scene of his former home. Dur- 
ing his visit he related an event which he hitherto had never 
made public. Mr. Gillett is now quite aged, and in a few more 
short years his race will be run, and, as he said, it would be 
useless to keep it a secret any longer, as the participants had 
passed over the silent river of death. The story is substan- 
tially as follows : He with his brother came to Clay County 
in the fall of 185G and located at what is now known ps Gil- 
lett's Grove, which is a beautiful grove filled with growing 
trees and through which courses the Little Sioux River. After 
deciding upon their location, they agreed to divide the grove 
equally, and one take the north and the other the south part. 
This being settled, they at once set to work and in a short time 
had constructed neat log houses and prepared themselves com- 
fortably for the winter. Being amply supplied with firewood, 
and their log houses being l)uilt not alone with a view to con- 
venience, but as well for warmth, they had no fears of suffer- 
ing from the storms or intense cold weath.er which were not- 
able at that time in this section. The only fears they enter- 
tained were from the Indians. But at that time they did not 
make frequent visits to this particular section for the reason 
that there Avas but little game, poor fishing and no settlements. 
The newly acquired property holders, therefore, felt themselves 
safe and comfortable from any intrusions from the wild sav- 
ages, whose treachery they so much feared. 

"Everything passed along quietly for several mouths, until 
one day a tribe under Chief Inkjiadutah came and set up their 
tepees upon the bank of Lost Island Lake. The settlers upon 
learning of their arrival and location feared that the Indians 
would discover the location of their houses and visit them. 
Their fears were well founded, for in a few days several of the 
red-skins paid them a visit. The white settlers treated them 
kindly and gave them provisions, and they left for their camp- 
ing grounds expressing their friendship and thanks for the 
food given them. In a few days another lot of them came, 
headed bv a stalwart brave who had been with the others a few 



THE AFFAIR AT OILLETT's OROVE 59 

days before. After saying their usual ''How," tkey were sup- 
plied by the whites and returned to the lakes. During both 
visits it Avas notieeal)le -that one of them, the one who led the 
second group, had liis eyes constantly fixed in admiration ujion 
Mrs. Gillett. Wherever she went and whenever she moved, his 
eye was upon her. In a few days he returned ; this time alone. 
He Avas given ,a seat and provided with a meal. TTe went away, 
but every two or three days he came, and although saying 
nothing, his looks indicated his admiration for Mrs. Grillett. 
His visits grew so constant and frequent that they became an- 
noying, not only to ]\Irs. Gillett, but to the two families. He 
A\'as constantly prowling around and apjiearing before them at 
the most unexpected moments, until he became a great nuis- 
ance. He was given to understand that his visits Avere not 
desired, but to these reminders he paid not the least attention. 
He Avas ahvays fed and Avell treated, for the reason that the 
settlers did not Avish to giA'e any offense to the tribe or incur 
their enmity. BiTt, becoming emboldened by the kind treat- 
ment that had been extended to him, one day in tlie absence 
of Mr. Gillett, and mastering all of the English language he 
possessed, he made certain proposals to Mrs. Gillett, Avhich 
she indignantly rejected, and Avarned him to leaA^e. He left 
the house in a short time, but had not gone a great distance 
when Mr. Gillett returned home. His Avife immediately in- 
formed him of the Indian's conduct. Tlio husband took doAvn 
his rifle, and learning the direction the Indian had taken, set 
out after him. After a fcAV minutes' Avalk he caught sight 
of him and drcAV up his rifle and fired. He did not Avait to 
ascertain the result of his shot, but returned to his cabin and ate 
his su])per. In the morning, in company Avith his l>rother. 
he visited the spot, and there found a dead Indian. The 
brothers, after severing the head from the body — Avhich thev 
subsequently sent to an eastern medical college — placed it in 
i\ holloAv tree. They at once packed u]i tlieir belongings and 
started for Fort Dodge, knowing full Avell that the Indians 
would discover the absence of the buck, and, knoAving his fond- 
ness for ^Irs. Gillett, Avould come there in search of liim, and 
finding no trace of him, Avould suspicion tliey IukI killed liim, 
and Avould rcA'cnge themselA^es upon the Avhitc settlers. They, 
therefore, deemed it prudent to make their escape before the 
arrival of the searching party, wliich they did." 



60 DICKINSON COUNTY ■ IOWA 

According to the above account, the Indians remained in 
camp at Lost Island several days. Accepting it as true, it 
throws some light npon the origin, or rather the commence- 
2nent, of the massacre here at the lakes. It is easy to under- 
stand the pitch of frenzy to which the passions of the savages 
would naturally be raised w^hen they made the discovery that 
one of their number had been slain by Gillett, as relajted by 
him, and the fact that he had made good his escape before the 
act was discovered would only increase their determination 
to wreak their vengeance upon the first luckless white settler 
that came in their way. 

We have always been led to observe the close connection be- 
tween the murder of Sidominadotah and his family by Lott 
in 1854, and the Spirit Lake Massacre of 1857, and that the 
latter was the legitimate outcome of the former, but accepting 
Gillett's story as true, it must be regarded as an important fac- 
tor in precii)itating the massacre at that time. Except for that 
it is possible that the settlers at the lakes would have fared no 
worse than their neighbors down the river. It may be regarded 
as singular that Gillett should have k(^pt the affair a secret for 
thirty-five years before giving it to the world, l)ut that might 
be accounted for on the theory that he knew he would be 
blamed for not warning the other settlers of the danger he had 
precipitated by his somewhat rash act. 

From the Little Sioux messengers were sent to Fort Dodge 
setting forth their situation and imploring relief. At first the 
citizens of Fort Dodge were inclined to be skeptical and sus- 
jticious that the reports of the depredations were largely ex- 
aggerated. Lluy could not l)tdi('ve tlic Indians Avere rash 
enough or foolish enough to thus dt'fv the i)o\ver of the gov- 
ernment and the people, riiey knew the destitute condition of 
the settlers along the frontier at the commencement of winter 
and many branded the story as a ruse to induce them to S'end 



MESSENGERS REACH FORT DODGE - THEIR STORY 61 

supplies or take other measures for their relief. But the re- 
ports kept coming thicker and more of them. 

Mr. Duneombo, in his account of the Spirit Lake Expedition, 
sa^'s : 

"In January, IM.")?, word was brought to Fort Dodge 
that a large band of Indians, under the lead of Inkpadutah, 
had followed down the Little Sioux Kiver to a point near Smith- 
land; that this band was composed of Sioux half-breeds and 
straggling renegades of the Sioux tribe, and that they had be- 
come (exceedingly insolent and ugly. The next information 
received at Fort Dodge was in the latter part of February, 
when Abner Bell, a Mr. Weaver and a Mr. Wilcox came to 
Fort Dodge and gave Major Williams and myself the startling 
intelligence of acts and depredations of these scoundrels, said 
to be about seventy in number, including about thirty war- 
riors. These three men had left the Little Sioux Hiver, and 
coming through the awful storms and almost impassable snows 
for sixty miles without a house or landmark on the way, sought 
aid from our people. They gave a sad and vivid description 
of the shooting down of their cattle and horses, of the abuse 
of their children, the violation of their Avomen and other acts 
of brutishness and cruelty too savage to be repeated. They 
pictured in simple but eloquent words the exposures of the dear 
wife, mother and children, their starving condition and their 
utter helplessness. These reports were repeated from day to 
day by other settlers from the Little Sioux, who from time to 
time came straggling into Fort Dodge. These repeated ac- 
counts of the acts of the Indians led every one familiar with 
the Indian character to become fully satisfied that they were 
determined on some great purijose of revenge against the ex- 
posed frontier settlements, and this caused much alarm among 
the people. Among the number giving this information were 
Ambrose S. Mead, L. F. Finch, G. M. and W. S. Gillett and 
John A. Kirchner, father of John (\ and Jacob Kirchner, who 
are now citizens of Fort Dodge. These depredations com- 
menced at the house of Abner Ikdl, on the 21st day of Februarv, 
A. D. 1857. On the 24th of February, 1857, the house occu- 
pied ])v James Gillett was suddcMily attacked by ten or more 
armed warriors and the two families living under the same 
roof, consisting of the heads of each family and five small chil- 



62 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

dreii, were terrorized and most villainously abused. After en- 
during outrages there, they managed to escape at midnight and 
late the following evening arrived at the residence of Bell, 
poorly clad, and having been without food for over thirty-six 
hours. The sufferings of these people and their little children 
will be appreciated by those who remember the driving storms, 
piercing winds and intense cold of the unparalleled winter of 
1856 and 1857, to my knowledge the longest and most severe 
of any winter for the last forty-three years. From Gillett's 
Grove, near the present beautiful and prosperous city of Spen- 
cer, the Indians proceeded to Spirit Lake and the lakes near 
by. No preparation could be made for resistance on account 
of the sparsity of the population and the scattered homes. In 
fact, it is improbable that any family knew that depredations 
were being committed by these red devils until they w^ere 
themselves attacked when wholly unprepared for any sucb 
event." 

The settlers along the Little Sioux also applied for help to 
the settlers on the Coon River at Sac City and below. Quite 
a company was raised there and made their way across to 
Peterson by way of Storm Lake, but thej were too late to 
accomplish anything. The Indians were gone and they were 
not prepared to follow them. They accordingly returned to 
their homes. 

The Indians arrived in the neighborhood of the lakes about 
the seventh of March, and camped in the Okoboji Grove at a dis- 
tance of about fifteen rods from the Mattock cabin. The date 
of their arrival at the lakes was about two weeks after the trou- 
ble near Sioux Rapids, which interval of time they doubtless 
spent in the camp at Lost Island. The idea suggests itself at 
this point that possibly the party of Indians at Lost Island was 
much larger than at the lakes. ISTearly every account referring 
to the Indians committing their depredations along the Little 
Sioux gives their numbers at from thirty to forty warriors, and 
some even more. Mr. Duncombe, who received his informa- 
tion direct from the settlers, in his account puts it between 



SAVAGES ARRIVE AT THE LAKES 63 

thirty aiul fortv. ^\y. Gilbraitli, in his "History of Chiy 
County," says from sixty to seventy, wliilo the actual number 
engaged in the massacre at the lakes was but fifteen. It uuiy 
be possible that the Indians divided their forces at Lost Island, 
one party going direct to the Des ^foines, while the other came 
by way of the lakes. Either this, or the settlers along the 
Little Sioux largely overestimated their number. As before 
stated, the Indians went into camp near the Mattock cabin 
about the seventh of March. Their tepees were arranged in a 
circle on both sides of the road running from Mattock's place 
to Gardner's. The inhabitants here had received no intimation 
of the depredations committed by them along the Little Sioux 
and had no apprehension of danger, and were, therefore, taken 
entirely by surprise. A letter found in the Granger cabin, 
written by Doctor Harriott to his father, Judge Harriott, dated 
]\rarch sixth, throws some light on the matter. In this letter 
he refers to the fact that the Indians were camped there, that 
they were on friendly terms with them, and that they had done 
some trading with them. Other matters were referred to in 
the letter which showed that they had no suspicion of danger. 







CHAI^TER V. 

SITUATION AT THE LAKES THE INDIANS IN 

CAMP INCIDENTS OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE 

MASSACRE ABBIE GARDNER TAKEN TO THEIR 

CAMP A PRISONER SECOND DAY OF THE MASSA- 
CRE MRS. THATCHER AND MRS. NOBLE TAKEN 

PRISONERS THE INDIANS CROSS THE LAKE AND 

GO NORTH TO MARBLE GROVE MARBLE KILLED 

AND MRS. MARBLE TAKEN PRISONER INDIANS 

THEN MOVE NORTHWEST TO HERON LAKE. 

OME time previous to this Harvey Luce and J. M. 
Thatcher went out for supplies, going as far east as 
Waterloo. On their return they were accompanied hy 
Enoch Ryan, a brother-in-law of N^oble; Robert Clark, 
a young man from Waterloo; Jonathan Howe, a son of Joel 
Howe; and Asa Burtch, a brother of Mrs. Thatcher. They 
traveled with an ox team and their progress through the deep 
snow was necessarily slow. Upon arriving at Shippey's, in 
Palo Alto County, some ten miles below Emmetsburg, their 
cattle were so nearly exhausted that they found it necessary to 
stop for a few days to rest and recruit them. It was decid'ed 
that Burtch and Thatcher shouhl stay and take care of the cat- 
tle and come on as soon as they were able, while the others took 
their way over the snow on foot to the lake, arriving there on 
the sixth of March, just in time to share the fate of their im- 
fortunate neighbors, while Burtch and Thatcher escaped by 
being left behind. 

I^ate in the fall Eliza Gardner made a visit to Springfield to 
the family of Doctor Strong, intending to return home after a 
short time, but the deep snow and the unparalleled severity of 



MATTERS LOOK THREATENING 65 

the winter made conniuinication between the two places almost 
impossible and she was compelled to stay where she M'as. This 
accounts for her absence at the time of the massacre, and for 
her being at the home of Mr. Thomas at the time of the attack 
on Springfield. The incidents of the massacre can never l)i' 
fully known. All the details we have are those furnished by 
Mrs. Sharp and they are necessarily very meager, as she saw 
but little of them. It seems that Mr. Gardner had been con- 
templating a trip to Fort Dodge for provisions as soon as ^fr. 
Luce returned from his trip to Waterloo. ^Ir. Luce returning 
on the sixth, Gardner determined to start on the eighth, and 
commenced making arrangements accordingly. On that morn- 
ing the family arose earlier than usual that he might have the 
advantage of an early start. As they were about to sit down 
to breakfast, a single Indian came in and demanded food. lie 
was given a place at the table with the family. Soon others 
made their appearance until Inkpadutah and his fourteen war- 
riors, together with their squaws and papooses, were 
crowded into the cabin. After dispatching the food that had 
been provided for the family, they became sullen and insolent, 
demanding ammunition and numerous other things. One of 
them snatched a box of caps from Gardner. Another attempted 
to seize a powder horn from the wall, but was prevented by 
Mr. Luce. The Indian then attempted to shoot Luce, but was 
prevented by Luce seizing the gun pointed at him. 

At this time two young men from the Granger cabin, Harriott 
and Snyder, knowing that Gardner intended starting for Fort 
Dodge, called to send letters down by him to be mailed. Gard- 
ner told them at once that he could n(»t go and leave his family, 
that he believed the situation was serious and that the Indians 
were bent on mischief. He .also wanted the settlers to get to- 
gether at the strongest place and make ])reparations for de- 
fense. Harriott and Snyder did not believe there was any 



G6 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

danger. They thought it a pet of the Indians that would soon 
pass away. So they did some trading with the Indians and 
started back to their own cabin, taking no precautions whatever 
for their own safety. The Indians prowled about the prem- 
ises until about noon, when they started back towards their 
camp, driving Gardner's cattle ahead of them, sliooting them 
on the way. This was the iirst time the cabin had been clear 
of Indians since they tirst came in the morning. 

It was a serious question now what to do. They wanted to 
notify the other settlers, and still if any of the men left it 
would so weaken their own party that it would not be possible 
to make an effective defense if the Indians returned, which 
they were liable to do any minute. It was finally agreed that 
Luce and Clark should go out and warn the rest and return 
as soon as possible. Accordingly, about two o'clock they set 
out for the Mattock cabin. Anxiously the inmates of the 
cabin awaited further developments. 

We will let Mrs. Sharp tell the rest. She says: "About 
three o'clock we heard the report of guns in rapid succession 
from the house of Mr. Mattock. We were then no longer in 
doubt as to the awful reality that was hanging over us. Two 
long hours we passed in this fearful anxiety and suspense, 
Avaiting and watching with conflicting hopes and fears for Mr. 
Luce and Mr]" Clark to return. At length, just as the sun was 
sinking behind the western horizon and shedding its brilliancy 
over the snowy landscape, father, whose anxiety would no 
longer allow him to remain within doors, went out to recon- 
uoiter. He, however, hastily returned saying: 'Nine Indians 
are coming now only a short distance from the house and wc 
are all doomed to die.' His first tliought was to barricade the 
door and fight till the last, saying, 'While they are killing all 
of us I will kill a few of them with the two loaded guns left 
in the house.' But to this mother protested, having not yet, 



DEPREDATIONS COMMENCE AT GARDNERS iu 

lost all faitli in the savage monsters and still hoping they wonld 
appreciate our kindness and spare our lives. She said, 'If we 
have to die, let us die innocent of shedding blood.' Alas for 
the faith placed in these inhuman monsters ! They entered 
the house and demanded more flour, and as father turned to 
get them what remained of our scanty store, they shot him 
through the heart. He fell upon his right side and died with- 
out a struggle. When first the Indian raised his gun to fire 
mother or Mrs. Luce seized the gun and drew it down, but 
tlie other Indians instantly turned upon them, seized them by 
their arms and beat them over their heads with the butts of 
their guns ; then dragged them out of doors and killed them 
in the most cruel and shocking manner. They next seized the 
children, tearing them from me one by one while they reached 
tlv?ir little arms to me, cr^-ing piteously for protection that 
I was 2)owerless to give. Heedless of their cries, they dragged 
them out of doors and beat them to death with sticks of stove 
wood." 

After ransacking the cabin and taking whatever they could 
make use of and destroying the rest, they started for their 
camp near the Mattock cabin, taking Abigail (Mrs. Sharp) 
with them as a prisoner. This occurred just at nightfall. 
Upon arriving at the camp the ^lattock cabin w.as in flames 
and the bodies of the murdered victims scattered about it. 
Nothing can be known as to what transpired here, as all Avas 
over and the cabin burning before the arrival of the Indians 
v.'ith their prisoner. Mrs. Sharp makes note of the fact that 
shrieks were heard issuing from the burning building indicat- 
ing that one or more luckless victims were suffering the agonies 
of death from burning. It is conjectured that after the first 
surprise was over some resis'tance was made at this point. The 
bodies of two of the men from the Granger cabin, Harriott 
and Snyder, were found here; also that of young Ilarshman. 



68 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




BURNING OF MATTOCK CABIN. 



Doctor Harriott, when found, had a loaded revolver in his 
hand with one l)arr(d discharged. One or two Sharps rifles 
wore found near the bodies of the men as they lay. In short, 
everything indicated a complete surprise at first and then an 
attempt to rally and make a defense, but too late. 

The Indians celebrated their bloody achievement that night 
by holding a war dance among the Ixxlies of their luckless vic- 
tims. Their threatening gestures accompanied by their ter- 
I'ific howls and their monotonous '*Hi Yi, Hi Yi," w^ere kej^t 
up until far into the night. On the next morning a portion 
of the force started for the Howe and Thatcher cabin, nearly 
four miles distant. They met Mr. Howe on the bank of the 
lake, about a quarter of a jnilc from his cabin. He had a grain 
bag with him when found by the burial party, and it is sup- 
posed that he had started for either (Jardner's or Mattock's 
for flour. T\n'\ killed him and sev(>red his head fi-oni his body. 
Tlie skull was found some time after by George Iling on the 
bank of the lake. They then went to the house of 
Mr. Howe, where they dispatched the rest of the fam- 
ily, consisting of Mrs. Howe, a grown up son and daughter, 



MASSACRE CONTINUED fi9 

and five younger children, and \hv child of Mrs. Xoble. From 
here they wt'iit to the Thatcher cabin, liere were two men, 
two women and two children, !Mr. Noble, wife and one child, 
]\rrs. Thatcher and one child and ^Ir. Enoch Ilvan. As nsnal 
they fcii>ii('d friendship until the men wen* off their iiuard, and 
(hen sliot them hoTJi simultaneously. TJic cabin had Imt one 
door and that faced the south. The men were on the north 
side of the cabin when they were shot. After killing the stock 
and plundering the house, they took the two women ( M r>. 
Noble and ^Irs. Thatcher) i)risoners and started l)ack to camp. 
On their way they again stopped at the house of .Mr. Howe. 
Here Mrs. Noble found her mother lying dead under the bed, 
where she had doubtless crawled after being left by her mur- 
derers. Her brother Jacob, some thirteen years old, wlio had 
been left for dead or dying, was found sitting uj) in the yard, 
conscious, l)ut iiiiai)le to speak. To lier questions lie respoiuletl 
only with a shake of the head. She told him tliat if the Iii- 
dians did not come to him and finish the murder, to crawl into 
the house and get into one of the beds, as perhaps help would 
come and lie miglit be saved, but the savages killed liim liefore 
JH'r eyes. Wliile Mrs. Noble was taking note of these things, 
the Indians were busy with their work of jdunder and destruc- 
tion, after which they, with their prisoners, returned to cam]\ 
This was on the ninth of March, and as will ap])ear later on, 
the day preceding tlu> niiilit in which Markhani had liis hair- 
breadth escape by waiuh'i'ing into the very center of their camp 
before lie was aware of their presence. 

On the morning of tlie tenth they broke camp and crossed 
West Okoboji on the ic<' to ^ra<lison Grove, where th(\v again 
went into camj), staying one niyht only. The next day, the 
eleventh, tluy took their way nortli to ^farble drove, on the 
west side of Spirit Lake, where they went into camj) some 
distance north of Marble's house. ^larblc had lieard nothina* 



70 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

of the troubles below and was wholly unsuspicious of danger. 
As usual, they asked for food. After partaking of it, they 
bantered him to trade rifles. After some dickering a trade 
was made. They then proposed shooting at a mark. Accord- 
ingly, a mark was. set u]), and after Marble had shot at it, the 
Indians turned on him and riddled him with Ijullets. They 
then proceeded to appropriate such things as they could make 
use of and to destroy the balance, after which they took Mrs. 
Marble with them to their camp, thus bringing the number of 
prisoners up to four. At night a war dance was held to cele- 
brate the achievements of the day, at which they recounted 
with pantomimic gestures and energetic action the wonderful 
deeds in which they had so recently participated. 

Before leaving this place the Indians removed the bark 
from an ash tree and delineated on the white surface by signs 
and characters a hieroglyphical representation of their recent 
exploits. Many of the writers who have mentioned this inci- 
dent have made more of it than the facts would warrant. The 
three or four published accounts which have been given to the 
public agi'ee in stating that the picture record gave the posi- 
tion and number of victims correctly, and also represented those 
killed as being pierced with arrows. !N^ow this is mainly fiction. 
The first discovery of the tree on Avhich the hieroglyphics were 
delineated was by a party consisting of O. C. Howe, R. U. 
Wheelock and the writer sometime in May. They were the 
first party to take a trip on the west side of Spirit Lake after 
the massacre. The tree was first noticed by Mr. Howe, and 
he called the attention of the rest of the party to it. It was 
a white ash tree standing a little way to the southeast of the 
door of the Marble cabin. It was about eight inches in diam- 
eter, not over ten ,at the most. The rough outside bark had 
been hewed off for a distance of some twelve or fifteen inches 
up ■ and down the tree. Upon the smoothed surface thus 



INDIANS AT HERON LAKE 71 

made were the representations. Tlie nunil>er of cabins (six) 
was correctly given, the largest of which was represented as 
being in flames. There were also representations, of human 
figures and with the hcl}) of the inuigination it was possible to 
distinsruish wliicli were meant for tlie wliites and which the 
Indians. There were not over ten or a dozen all told, and ex- 
cept, for the hint contained in the cabins, the largest one being 
in flames, we could not have figured any moaning out of it. 
This talk of the victims being pierced with arrows and tlieir 
ninnbor and position given, is all nonsense. Mr. IIowc and 
the writer spent some time studying it, and, while they came 
to the conclusion that it would convey a definite meaning to 
those understanding it, thov could not make much out of it. - 

After leaving Marble's place, tlio Indians traveled slowly 
to the northwest, camping in the groves tliat border on the 
small lakes in that direction, never stopping more than one 
night in a place, until they arrived at Heron Lake, about thirty- 
five miles northwest of Spirit Lake, sometime about the twen- 
ty-fourth or twenty-fifth of March. 




CHAPTER VI. 

DISCOVERY OF THE MASSACRE MARKIIAM's NAR- 
ROW ESCAPE HE CABBIES THE NEWS TO SPRING- 
FIELD THE REPORT ALSO REACHES FORT DODGE 

BUT IS NOT CREDITED AT FIRST HOWE AND 

WHEELOCK REACH FORT DODGE-^THEIR ACCOUNT 

ACCEPTED AS TRUE PUBLIC MEETING HELD 

VOLUNTEERS CALLED FOR TWO COMPANIES 

RAISED HERE AND ONE AT WEBSTER CITY EX- 
PEDITION STARTS FOR THE LAKES INCIDENTS OF 

THE MARCH-^MEET THE SPRINGFIELD REFUGEES 

MEET MESSENGER FROM U. S. TROOPS MAIN 

BODY TURNS BACK DETACHMENT OF TWENTY- 
THREE PROCEED TO THE LAKE. 

ITE DISCOVERY of tlic massacre and the manner in 
wliicli it was made public now deserve a passing notice. 
Reference has formerlv l)een made to a trapper hj^ the. 
name of ^larkham who was lioardino- in the family of 
J. M. Thatcher. It seems that oarly in the winter some cattle 
belonging to Markham had strayed away and that he was un- 
able to get any tidings of them until near spring, when he heard 
they were at ^fud Lake (or Big Island Grove, as it was then 
called) in Emmet (^(umty. He went over there, found and 
identified the cattle, made arrangements for their care, spent 
some time in that locality, and tinally started for home on the 
ninth of ^farch. It will be remcndierod this was the day on 
which the Howe and Ihatcher families were murdered and 
ihe day after the balance of the massacre. Shortly after he 
started for the lakes there camc^ up one of the fearful storms* 



DISCOVERY OF THE MASSACRE 73 

s:o coinnion that winU'r. The weather was intensely cohl for 
the season of the year but there was no alternative but to press 
through if possible. He lost his course and struck farther 
south than he intended, and about eleven o'clock in the even- 
ing he reached the house of Mr. Gardner cold, huniirv an.d 
\iearly exhausted. Ujwn hi'^ arrival he was not a little sur 
[)rised to find the plaw aj)parentl_v deserted and everythin_i»- 
about the house in confusion, and although he did not encoun- 
ter any dead bodies, he was pretty sure that there had l)een 
trouble with the Indians. He then started down through the 
grove for the Mattock place. The old foot path followed sub- 
stantially the same track as is now the highway through the 
grove. The night was uncommonly dark and objects could 
not be distinguished at all any distance away. When he had 
nearly reached Mattock's cabin his attention was attracted by 
the barking of a dog and the voices of individuals. He stopped 
to listen, and after taking a careful survey of the situation hie 
found that he had unconsciously walked into the center of the 
Indian camp, they having pitched their tepees in a circle on 
both sides of the path. To withdraw from the ])roximity of hio 
unwelcome neighbors without attracting their attention was an 
exceedingly difficult job and recpiired all of his tact and address. 
Aided by the darkness he finally succeeded. He now took his 
course up across East Okoboji Lake to the cabin of ^h: Howe, 
where he found everything destroyed and in confusion and the 
lx)dies of the murdered victims scattered around. From there 
he went to the cabin of Mr. Thatcher, where he had been board- 
ing through the winter, but the condition of affairs was simi- 
lar here to what he found it at the other places. Thinking it 
unsafe to stay in the house, he went into a deej) ravine a shori 
distance away, and spent the remainder of the night. In the 
morning he found that liis fwt were partially frozen, but he 
immediatelv started for the Ues Moines River, which he sue- 



74 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

ceetled in reaching at the George Granger place. Here he fell 
in with some trappers, two of whom started immediately for 
Fort Dodge, where they gave the first account of the massacre. 
But having received the particulars at second hand, and Leing 
badly frightened at them, their story was so incoherent ana 
their statements so contradictory, they were not believed and 
but very little notice was taken of them. Markham, in the 
meantime, Avent up the river to Springfield and carried the 
news of the massacre at the lakes to that settlement so that 
they had Avarning that trouble might be expected. 

Mention has previously been made <-»f tlu' party from Jasper 
County, consisting of Howe, Wheelock and Parmenter, who 
were here in the fall and passed Inkpadutah's camp at Loon 
Lake at that time. Before leaving the lakes they had deter- 
mined to make permanent settlement there in the spring. This 
party left Xewton not far from tlie first of ]\rarch. At Fort 
Dodge they crossed the river and came up all of the way on 
the west side. By so doing they missed the trajDpers who went 
down with the news of the massacre, as they went down on 
the east side, consequently they hoard nothing of the troubles 
until their arrival there. They were traveling with ox teams 
through the deep snow, and of course their progress Avas 
necessarily sIoav. On the night of the fifteenth they camped 
in a small gi'ove on the bank of Mud Creek, in Lloyd toAvn- 
ship. The next morning tlu'v took an early stai-t, tliinking to 
reach the Gardner place before night, but a storm came n\) and 
they lost their course. Having their spring and summer sup- 
plies, of course they Avere heavily loaded. They abandoned 
their load in a slough some tAvo or three miles east of Gar Lake 
and struck for the settlement, which they reached about mid- 
night. They first wcMit to Thatclier's. where tliev found 
CA'erything in confusion, Init did not liappcn on any dead 
bodies. Then they went to Ifowc's. wliere they i-amped for 



RELIEF EXrEDITION ORGANIZED 75 

tlic night. In tlie morning tliev niiulo such investigation of 
matters as they were able, and then for the first time the fact 
became apparent that the settlement had been wiped out by 
a bloody massacre. The party started immediately for Fort 
Dodge, arriving there on the twenty-second of ^larch. They 
were so well known tliere that their statements were taken 
without question. 

A public meeting was innnediately called, at which it was 
decided to send an expedition to the lakes to bury the dead, 
relieve the living, if any were found, and if possible to over- 
take and execute summary vengeance upon the savage maraud- 
ers who had thus destroyed the settlement. The difficulties 
in the way of such an enterprise were numerous. TJie snow, 
which lay on the ground to an unprecedented depth, was just 
beginning to soften, and all Avere awai'C that just as soon as 
it commenced melting the streams would be swollen so as to be 
impassable. The settlers on the river above Fort Dodge be- 
came alarmed and most of them left their places and came 
into town, thus leaving the country through which the expedi- 
tion must necessarily pass practically uninhabited, and th<ise 
who remained were so destitute that they could furnish noth- 
ing for the expedition. The meeting at Fort Dodge was held 
on the twenty-third of ]\farch. Major Williams being present 
read a commission he held from Governor Grimes authorizing 
him in cases of emergency to take the proper measures for the 
defense of the frontier. Volunteers were called for and it 
soon became evident that there would be no delay in getting 
the men. In a few minutes a force of about seventy men was 
raised. This force was organized in two companies. A and B, 
Company A under the command of C. B. Richards, and Com- 
pany B under the command of J. F. Duncombe. Another, Com- 
pany C, Captain J. C. Johnson, was raised at Webster City, 
which brough the force up to about a hundred men. The whole 




CAPTAIN COMPANY A. 




CAPTAIN OK COMPANY H. 



78 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

force was under the command of Major William Williams, of 
Fort Dodge, while George B. Sherman, of the same place, acted 
as quartermaster and commissary. The expedition was without 
tents and was but partially supplied with blankets, the men 
being limited to one apiece. The means of transportation 
were very imperfect. There was no grain in the country above 
Fort Dodge, and it was impossible to take an\^ along as it was 
necessary to take provisions for the round tri]). The snow 
was nearly four feet on the level and all of the ravines and 
low places were completely filled, and when the snow com- 
menced melting it was one continued reach of water and slush. 
The enlisted men were no tenderfeet. They comprehended to 
its fullest extent the perils and privations they would neces- 
sarily have to overcome before completing the task they had 
undertaken, and while they went at the work of preparation 
with that careless gayety and nonchalance which usually char- 
acterize the representative frontiersman, they well knew that 
it was more than probable that some of their number would 
lie left on that wild and desolate prairie, their flesh to be Torn 
and devoured by the beasts and birds of jirey *and their bones 
to l)leach in sun and storm until tliey turned again to dust. 
Looking back and recalling the events of that memorable cx- 
})edition the only wonder is that the nund)er of victims was 
not 'materially larger. 

The expedition left F(u*t Dodge on the twcnity-fourth of 
March. Some accounts say the twenty-fiftli, but this is a mis- 
take. They started on the twenty-fourth, and were nine davs 
in reaching what was then known as the Granger place, in 
Emmet County, the point wdiere the command divided and the 
main body turned back. Nine days of rougher eami)aign- 
ing it would be difficult to inuigine. The snow had so filled 
in around the groves and along the streams that at times ii" 
was impossible to reach them. It was no uncommon exjx^ri- 





^^^^«-c 




yS>^ 



'^t^^_ 



FIRST LIEUTENANT OK COMPANY C. 



80 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

ence to wade through snow and water waist deep during the 
day, and at night to lie down in their wet clothing, without 
fire and without tents, and on short rations of food. The only 
way the men could keep from freezing was by lying so closo 
together that they could only turn over by platoons. The ra- 
vines were all tilled level full of snow and it was often neces- 
sary to detach the teams and rigging a cable to the wagons for 
the whole party to take hold and make their way 
through. As the expedition neared the state line, and 
settlements became sparser and smaller, it was deemed 
])ru(lont to send a force of scouts out in advance of the main 
body. Accordingly, on the inorning of the thirtieth of March, 
Major Williams made a detail of ten men to act as scouts, 
under the command of 'William L. Church, who, by the way, 
was a veteran of the Mexican War. Mr. Church with his 
family, consisting of his wife, his wife's sister and two small 
children, had settled at Springfield the fall before, and in Feb- 
ruary Church had made a trip to Webster City for supplies, 
leaving his family in the settlement at Springfield 
during his absence. He h.ad reached McKnight's Point, 
on the west fork of the Des Moines in HumbljWt 
County on his return when he heard of the mas- 
sacre at the lakes, and also that a relief party w.as being or- 
ganized at Fort Dodge and would be up in a few days. He 
accordingly waited for their arrival, when he enrolled himself 
as a meml)er of Company C, He had heard nothing of his 
family since he left home nearly a month before, and was 
continually in a state of feverish anxiety. Some of the ac- 
counts say that Lieutenant IMaxwell had command of the 
scontiiig party, but this is a mistake. Church had charge of 
I bo scouts up to the time they fell in with the Springfield refu- 
gees, wlicn he went do\Am the river with them and the scouts 
were then turned over to Maxwell. 



MEET THE SPRINGFIELD REFUGEES 81 

On the morning in (]uostion, as soon as the (k'tail was com- 
pleted, he started with liis scouts some distance in advance of 
the main party. As they were crossing over the divide near 
the sonth lini' of Emmet Connty, they saw, a long distance 
ahead of them, a party of pedestrians, l)nt whether they were 
whit^es or Indians could not then he (h'termined, as the party 
when first sighted must have heen nearly two miles away. 
Church hrought his men together, had them examine their 
arms to see that they were in n-adiness, and gave the word for 
a cautious advance, he taking the lead. As the distance he- 
twecn the two parties was gradually diuiinisheil, it was evi- 
dent that the strangers were approaching with fully as much 
caution as Church's party. It was now discovered that they 
had an ox team with tliem. This settled the (piestion that they 
were not Indians. >\l)()Ut this time they commenced making 
signals, wliieh the scouts answered, and tli rowing away their 
caution, started on the run to meet them. Church taking the 
lead. His eagerness was soon explained, as his wife, wife's 
bister and two children were members of the party, and this 
was the first intimation he had received since he heard of the 
massacre as to whether his family were dead or alive. It was 
a glad, yet a sorrowful meeting. Glad that their circle was 
yet complete ; that none of their nund)er had fallen victims to 
the savage foe. Sorrowful that so much of danger and suffer- 
ing luid been endured and that so much more of sorrow and 
privation must come t(t them Ivc^fore theii- comforr and safety 
could be assured. 

It was now ascertained thar they wore a party of refugees 
fleeing from Indian depredations in the neighborhood of 
Springfield (now Jackson), Minnesota. The party consisted 
of about twenty men, women and children, among whom were 
Mrs. Church, her two children, and her sister Miss Swanger; 
Mr. Thomas, his wife and several children; David Carver, 



82 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

John Bradshaw, Morris Markham, Jareb P.almer, Miss Eliza 
Gardner, Doctor Strong- and wife, Doctor Skinner and several 
others. From them it was ascertained that the Indians had 
made a raid on the settlements along the Des Moines River 
three days before, an acconnt of which will be given later on. 
They had with them three persons who had been severely 
wonnded in that attack ; namely, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Carver and 
Miss Swanger. They had been three days upon the road, during 
which time they had been without provisions, except a kind 
of lunch they took along with them, and in that time they had 
suffered incredible hardships. The women and children had 
waded through snow and water waist deep and at night had 
lain down in their wet clothes completely exhausted. 

It was decided by the scouts und refugees to go into cam}) 
in the nearest grove and to send back messengers to the main 
body to hurry up supplies and to inform the surgeon that his 
services would probably be needed. The messengers detailed 
for this service were Frank Mason of Company C and the 
writer. The balance of the scouts, together with the refugees, 
started for the nearest grove, which was on the river directly 
west from where the two parties met. The place has since been 
known as "Camp Grove," and is situated on the line between 
Palo Alto and Emmet Counties. When the ■ messengers 
reached the main body and delivered their message, ex- 
citement ran high. The troops hurried forward as rapidly 
as possible, and when they reached the grove the boys had 
campfires already started and everyone set to ^^'ork immediate- 
ly to alleviate the sufferings of the exhausted refugees. They 
gave up for their use the only tent in the command and fur- 
nished them with such provisions as they had, while the sur- 
geon, Doctor Bissell, dressed their wounds and made them as 
comfortable as ])ossiblc under the circumstances. The next 



MEET MESSENGERS FROM U. S. TROOPS 83 

(lav tlicv srai-KMl on rli<'ir wav ddwii the river, while rlic volun- 
teers contiinied their march tnwanl the lak<'s. 

Governor ("arj)eiiter in his aeconnt refers to this iii<'i(l(;nt 
as follows: 

"If the expedition had accomplished nothing more, 
every man wonld have felt himself repaid for his sliare 
in its toil and sulfering by the relief it was able to afford to 
these suffering refugees. In the haste of their departure from 
Springfield they had taken but little provisions and scanty 
clothing. Tile women in wading through the drifted snow had 
worn out their shoes, their gowns were worn to fringes at th^' 
bottom, and all in all, a more forlorn and needy company of 
men and women were never succored by the hands of friends. 
They cried and laughed, and laughed and cried, alternately. 
A part of one squad then returned to the main command with 
the information of our discovery and the residue conducted 
the worn and weary jiarty to the nearest grove on the Des 
Moines River, where the main body joined them later in the 
afternoon and where we spent the night. The next morning 
we divided our scanty rations and blankets with them and they 
went forward toward safety and friends, whilst we pushed 
towards the scene of the massacre." 

On the afternoon of the first day of April the command 
reached Granger's place, when it was ascertained that a i)arty 
of United States troops had come down from Fort Ilidglev 
and were then at Springfield; that a detachment under Lieu- 
tenant .Xfurray had Ixh'ii over to Spirit Lake and buiMccj .Mar- 
ble, but did not go down to Okoboji J.ake at all. They also 
reported that the Indians had made good their escape across 
the Big Sioux River. By the way, this company of United 
States troops was under command of ('aj)tain JJarnard E. Be<», 
who, at the breaking out of the civil war, joined the Confederates 
and was made a brigadier general, and was killed at the first 
battle of T^ull Hun. When it was learned that the Indians 
had made their escape, it was not deemed necessary that lh' 



84 DICKINSON COUNTY IOWA 

whole force should go over to the lakes. Indeed, that would 
have been almost impossible, anyway. The supj)lies were 
nearly exhausted and the water was at its highest. 

After consultation with his subordinates. Major Williams 
decided to turn back with the main body, while a party of 
twenty-three were detailed under the command of Captain 
Johnson and Lieutenant ^laxwell to proceed to the lakes for 
the purpose of burying the dead and gaining what informa- 
tion they could. 

Some accounts place the strengfh of this party at twenty- 
tive or twenty-six, but twenty-tliree was the actual nund)er. 
Their names were as follows : 

Captain J. C. Johnson, Lieutenant John i^. Maxwell. 

Privates — Ilenry Carse, William E. Burkholder, .William 
Ford, II. E. Dalley, (). C. Howe, George P. Smith, O. S. 
Spencer, C. Stebbins, S. Van (leve, R. U. Wheelock, R A. 
Smith, William A. ])e Foe, B. F. Parmenter, Jesse Adding- 
ton, R. McCormick, J. ^l. Thatcher, William R. Wilson, 
Jonas Murray, A. Burtch, William K. Laughlin, E. 1). 
Kellogg. 

In the list given to the public by Captain Rieliards, the 
name of William De Foe does not ap])e.ar, but it is pretty cer- 
tain that he was a member of the })arty. Captain Richards 
himself volunteered to go and started with the rest, l)ut upon 
reaching the river found that he could not cross his pony over, 
and so he and one other mounted man turned l)ack. It was in 
this way that the number was re<hu'e(l to twenty-three, while 
the original order was for twenty-tive. This party took U]) 
their line of March towards the lakes on the morning of the 
second day of April, carrying with them two days' rations, and 
it was th(>n very uncen-tain when they would get any more. 
They arrived at the Thatcher cabin about three o'clock P. M.. 
and immediately entered u])on the work they had to do. Th-j 



THE BURIAL PARTY 86 

bodies of Noble and Ryan were found back of the cabin and 
were the first ones buried. It will be remembered that ^Ir. 
Ryan was one of the men who came through from Hampton 
with Luce and Thatcher, and that he got through on the even- 
ing of the seventh, just in time to be killed, while Thatcher, 
by reason of his cattle giving out, was obliged to lay over and 
rest them a short time. This delav saved his life. 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE BUKIAL PKEPARATIONS FOR THE RETURN 

THE PARTY DIVIDES THE STORM ADA^EN- 

TURES OF THE PARTY THAT REMAINED BEHIND. 




HE PARTY camped that night at the Thatcher cabin. 
The old cook stove liad been left standing in place un- 
distnrbed. This the boys utilized at once and fell to 
work cooking their supper. After going int-o camp, a 
small detachment of the party, including Thatcher, started out 
on a stroll and went as far as the Howe cabin, where in addi- 
tion to the members of the Howe family, they found the bodies 
of the two chik'.ren, Thatcher's and ISToble's. They had prob- 
ably been taken that far with their mothers, wdio, it will be 
remembered, tlie Indians had with them as prisoners. The 
boys brought the body of Thatcher's child back to the cabin 
and buried it that night near the head of the ravine, west of 
the cabin. The Noble child was left where it was found and 
buried next day witli the Howe family. The night was passed 
in the Thatcher cabin. It could not have been over fourteen 
by twenty feet in size and no loft, and yet the twenty-three 
men managed to dispose of themselves so as to pass the night 
in comparative comfort. They were on the move early the 
next morning and, after dispatching their scanty breakfast, 
started for the Howe cabin, about a mile and a quarter west. 
Upon arriving there Captain Johnson divided his command 
into three parties. One was to remain and bury the bodies 
fouiul tliere. This party was under tlio immediate command 
of Captain Johnson himself. The second, under command of 
Lieutenant Maxwell, was to proceed to the Mattock place and 
bury those found there, while the third^ under the direction 



BURYING THE DEAD 87 

of R. U. iWheelock, w.as detailed to lind, if possible, the wagon 
with supplies that Howe and Wheelock had abandoned on the 
prairie the night they reached there and discovered the massa- 
cre, on their former trip. The Captain's force commenced 
work at once. One spade and one shovel to each party were all 
the working tools that could be found. With these they dug 
a grave about six or seven feet square and about thirty inches 
deep. In this grave were buried the bodies of nine persons, 
as follows: Mrs. Millie Howe; Jonathan Howe, a grown-up 
son, and Sardis Howe, a grown-up daughter ; five younger 
children of Mr. Howe, and the child of ^Ir. and ]\rrs. Xoble, 
which, as has been before stated, had probably been brought 
that far with its mother before being killed by the Indians. 
There is a discrepancy between the actual facts and all accounts 
so far published relative to the number massacred at the Howe 
cabin. The number given by Mrs. Sharp in her book, as well 
as other published accounts, give it as "Mrs. Howe, a grown- 
up son, a grown-up daughter and four younger children." 
When the bodies were disinterred for reburial at the time of 
the erection of the monument, there were certaiuly nine bodies 
found in that grave, and they can only be accounted for as 
above stated. There were no children found at the Thatcher 
cabin^ and Thatcher himself identiiied his child found at the 
Howe cabin, and the men witli him assisted him in carrying- 
it back to his own place, where it Avas buried as before stated, 
near the head of the ravine west of the house. 

It was well towards noon when this work was comi)leted. In 
the meantime the other burial party, under ^faxwell, proceed- 
ed at once to the ^Fattock place. A short tinu' befori' their 
arrival there they found the headless body of Joel Howe on 
the ice. Here is another discrepancy in which ascertained 
facts differ from the usually accepted accounts. Houry Dal- 
ley, (tf Webster City, who is the only member of that party 



88 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

whose whereabouts is now known, insists that when they 
found the body of 3Ir. Howe they carried it to the Mattock 
place and buried it in the same grave with the Mattock fam- 
ily and the others that M'ere found there. He says the recol- 
lection of that circumstance is the most vivid and distinct of 
anything that transpired on the trip and that he cannot be 
mistaken about it. The usually accepted account is that Mr. 
Howe's body was taken to the shore by those who found it and 
buried on a bluff some distance southwest of his house. 

It will be remembered the party had no provisions except 
the lunch the}' brought with them from their camp the morn- 
ing before, and that was now exhausted. The party under 
Wheelock, consisting of five men, started at once in search of 
the abandoned wagon, which they found without difficulty 
among the sloughs that form the source of Spring Run, to- 
gether with the supplies, all safe as they had left them three 
weeks before. They took what they could conveniently carry 
of flour, pork, coffee and sugar, and started back, joining the 
other parties at the Mattock place, reaching there just as they 
liad finished digging the grave and were gathering up the 
bodies for burial. As has been stated, here was the only place 
that showed signs of any resistance having been made, and 
that has already been described. There were eleven bodies 
found here and buried. As identified by Thatcher and Wilson 
at the time, they were as follows: James Mattock, 
liis wife and the three oldest children, "Robert Madison, Doc- 
tor Harriott, Bert Snyder and Joseph Harshman. Right here 
comes in a discrepancy that has never been explained and 
probably never will. Mrs. Sharp maintains that the bodies 
of Luce and Clark Avere found Inter and buried near the out- 
let of East Okobnji, they having Ixmmi waylaid in tlieir atteni]»t 
to warn the other settlers. All accounts agree that eleven 
l)odies wer(> bnriod Irero. The writer fonnd one bodv, that of 



THE COMMAND DIVIDES 89 

a twelve-year-old bov, about a laontli later and assisted in 
burying it. and if one perished in the flames this makes thir- 
teen to be accounted for. Who were they? Seven of the Mat- 
tock family, Madison, Harriott, Snyder, Harshman and ^wo 
others. Even on the theory that none perished in the burning- 
cabin, there is one more than can be accounted for. Was there 
one or two strangers stopping at either the ^fattoek or Granger 
cabin of whom no account was ever given '. It is not strange 
that an occasional discrepancy is found. The only wonder is 
that they are not far more numerous. 

From here the party went to the Granger cabin and found 
the dead body of Carl Granger, which was buried east of the 
cabin, near the bank of the lake. From there the whole force 
went to Gardner's, where were found six bodies, as follows : 
Mr. and Mrs. Gardner, Mrs. Luce, the young son of Mr. Ga-rd- 
ner and the two children of Mr. and Mrs. Luce. These were 
buried in one grave a short, distance southeast of the house. 
This finished the work of burial. There was no lumber here 
with which to make coffins, and no time to do it if there had 
been, and all that could be done was to dig at each place one 
grave wide enough to contain the bodies found there, put them 
in as they were found, cover thcni witli ])rairie hay and then 
with dirt. One singular fact which was particularly noted 
at the time was that no scalps had been taken, ^fany of tlie 
accounts that have been ])ublished state that a part of the vi"- 
tims were scalped. This is a mistake. The matter was thor- 
oughly investigated and fully talked over that night in camp, 
and Messrs. Howe, Wheelock and Maxwell and others unite in 
the statement that no scalps were taken. 

After finisliing their work the tired .and linngry men caniix'd 
for the night. Some of the ])arty had sck'ii ^Ir. (Jardncr bnry a 
few potatoes in a box under the stove the fall before. Phese 
were f<nnnl and roasted by a ('anii)tire. These, with tlx' small 



90 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

amount of ])rovisioiis wliicli luid Ix'oii l)n)ii_alir from tlic wag'on 
en tilt' ])rairie, ('(»iisritiit(Ml their stock of supplies. The next 
moi'iiiiii>', which was the fourth of A])ril, was fog'ii'v and misty, 
and the indications p((rtcn(h^d a coming storm. AVhih' thc 
hoys were preparing' breakfast, tli(^ question of the return tri]) 
was discussech A majority were in favor of striking right out 
in a southeasterly direction, in as straight a line as jiossible, for 
the Irish Colony, while the others argued that the distance was 
too great and the route too uncertain to do it with safety, and 
insisted on going hack hy the sanu- route they came, wliich ' 
was by Estherville andt Ennuet. And more, they argued tlic- 
weather was so threatening that if a storm came up the party 
w^as liable to he divided and ])ossibly some might be lost on the 
])rairie. 

..Vfter breakfast the two ])arties were as far apart as ever, 
when Captain Johnson, seeing no ])rospect of coming to an 
agreement, gave the word to form a line. After tlie men had 
fallen in he gave the further order, "All wdio favor starting 
at once across the })rairie, step three ])aces to the front; the 
rest stand fast." Sixteen advanced to the front, including 
Captain -lohnson, Lieutenant Maxwell, -Mr. Burkholder and 
thirteen others. Seveu renuiiued in theii- places. The names 
of tlu'se seven were: (). C. Howe, 1^. U. Wheelock, li. F. 
Parmenter, William 1\. Wilson, Josejdi M. Thatcher, Asa 
Eurtcli and 1{. A. Smith. What little provision was left in 
cam]) was s])e('dily packed and the ])arty made ready to dej)art; 
at once. .Just as the main party were starting away, Ca))tain 
Johnson and Mv. ibirkliolder turne(l back to where ^^essrs. 
Howe, Wheelock and K. A. Smith were standing and urged 
that they change their minds and go with them. 'Idiey insisted 
that there was no evidence that the Indians had left the vicin- 
ity of the lak"s, and th-,it so small a party were taking their 
lives in tlieii- hands bv stavinii' there alo^c. On tlie other hand, 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE RETURN 91 

ITowc and W'licclock ciuleavitrcil to comincc ('aptniii .lolinso?! 
!liar tlu' (laiiiicr in _iiiiiii<>' \\:is t"ai' lii'catcr tliaii in stavinj;-; tluU 
tlu'vc \va-< uiorc to lie t'carc*! t'l-din tiic coiiiinii' stoi*?ii than from 
llic Indians. The scxcn who ri'nuiiii('(l hchind otVcrcMl to ^o 
with the others if ihcv wouhl ehnnii'c their route and li'o hade 
h_v way of Esthervillc aiid the 1 K's Moines lvi\-er, hut they al)s<)- 
lufidy refused to strike out across th<' ])rairie. Seeiuii- tha: 
their ariiiinieiits were of no ax'ail and that the sniaUer party 
Were deterinined to stay, they shook hands with them, hack' 
thcnn i>'oo(l-hye and startetl on tlie run to join their ('()ni[)anions, 
■>vho hy this time were souie distance away. It was their last 
ii(to(kl)yo. 

For the particuhirs of that returu tri]) the readei- is referred 
to Lieutenant MaxwelTs account, whicli will he found furtlier 
oil. The |)arty that reniaineil now turned their atleiitiou to 
their own comfort aiu] safety. Tlieir first reiiuireinent was 
])rovision'?. As soon as tlie otlier deta(dinient had left, tlrey 
made tlieir preparations to once more \'isit the waaon on the 
jirairie, whi(di they found without troiihle, and after loading 
lhems(dves with siudi su])plies as they could carry, returne(l to 
canijt. IJefore reachiiiii' camp they were overtaken hy the hlind- 
luii,' storm, whicdi prox'ed so disastrous to the other |»arties, hut 
fortunatcdy they were so far aloiii;- on their return trij) tha* 
they succeeded in rea(diin_i>' camj) without accident, with thr(>e 
or four days' prox'isions. I'j) to this time the party had keen 
cainj'e(! out on the north siile of the cakin. They- now moved 
inside, and as the storm was increasinii' in \'i(dence, tlieir nexr 
cai'c wa-' to lav in fu(d enough to last iinlil it was <^ver. This 
they had no ti'oukle in doini!', and now it will he I'eadily seen 
ili'at they were fai- more comfortahly situated than the main 
hodv, who were havinii' their terrikle e\|)erience on tlie h;inks 
of the ('\dinder, so \-ivi(lly descrike<l hy (}overiior ( 'ar|ienter, 
c.r the party who lunl l.d't that nnu'iiiui;- lor the Irish ('(dony, 



92 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

and were liaving such a bitter experience, as told by Lientenant 
Maxwell. There was nothing now for tlie i)arty to do bnt to 
lake care of themselves the best they could until the storm was 
over. They were in a comfortable cabin, with plenty of fuel 
and provisions for the present. Of course, they were at any 
moment liable to an attack by the Indians, provided the In- 
dians had not all left. After securing their fuel, tliey barri- 
caded the door and window as well as they could, and then, 
removing some of the chinking, they made portholes on each 
side of the cabin ; being fairly well armed, they considered 
themselves comparatively safe. 

Sunday night the storm abated and ]\I()nday morning it was 
clear and cold. That Sunday night was the coldest April 
night knoAvn in the history of Iowa. On Monday morning the 
party started for home. The ground was frozen where it was 
bare and where it was not the strong crust on the snow was 
capable of bearing up any ordinary load, so that the walking 
was good. On reaching the Des Moines, they found it frozen 
over so hard that they crossed it without difficulty and reached 
Granger's place, where they had left the nniin l)ody five days 
before. It will be remembered that on coming up no teams 
could cross the river, consecjuently tliey all turned hack with 
the main body of troops except the one owned by Howe and 
Wheelock. That was left here, and Markham and another 
per.^on were left here to take care of it until they should return. 
The party decided to rest here another day. That night they 
were joined also by Jareb Pabner, who, instead of going down 
with the main body, had been u]) to Springfield again. AVcd- 
nesday morning the whole i)arty started down th(> river. 'I'licy 
now had a team to carry their baggage and tlic walking Avas 
coni})aratively good. The w<'atlier rciiiaiiiing cold all of this 
time, the watci- had run down so that the small stn>ams were 
crossed withont much difficnlt\', and il was onlv such streams 



START FOR FT. DODGE 93 

as Jack Creek and the Cylinder that offered any serious obsta- 
cles. The party rested another day at the Irish Colony, where 
they liad overtaken a portion of the Springtield refugees mak- 
ing their way down the river ; also Henry Carse, one of Max- 
well's men, who had frozen his feet the night tliey lay on the 
prairie after leaving the Gardner cabin. 

Saturday morning they made another start and .arrived at 
Cylinder Creek a little after noon. The creek had fallen some 
but was still out of its banks, being neai-ly a (piarter of a mile 
wide. The water w.as from one to two feet deep over the 
bottom, which was very level. The crossing of this stream 
was the most serious problem that the party had to solve on 
their way down. One man went ahead on horseback to try 
the route, then followed tlie teams with the wounded men and 
the women and children. The ground was a little higher .at 
the bank of the stream than it was farther back, and at one 
place it w.as bare. On this knoll they all gathered to contrive 
some way to cross the river. >\.n old w'ooden sled was found 
and a few pieces of driftwood. These were fastened together 
and the l)ox taken off from one of the w,agons and fastened 
to the raft. Two long ropes were then rigged, one to each 
side of the raft. The man on horseback then took one end of 
one of the ropes and swam his horse across the channel to 
the opposite bank, wliich was ([uite steep and comparatively 
high. (The course of the channel Avas distinguished by wil- 
lows growing on its banks.) He then dismounted, holding 
fast to the rope. Three or four men now ,took their places on 
the raft and the man that had ridden over slowly and care- 
fully pulled them across, the men on the other side holding 
the raft by the other rope to keep it from floating down stream. 
Communication now being established, and there being men 
enough on each side to handle the raft without delay, the wo- 
men, children and wounded men were soon taken over. The 



94 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

leains were then swam over, ro})eri rii>,i;(Ml to the ends of the 
wagon tongues and the wagons hanled over. Then came tlio 
baggage and last of all the balance of the men. 

This crossing took the entire .afternoon and the partv reached 
Sliippey's, two miles away, ahont sundown, wet, cold and 
almost exhausted. Iliere they learned for the first time the 
terrible experience their comrades had at the same ])lace nearly 
a week before them. From here the party proceeded on their 
way to Fort Dodge, wihich they reached without further .ad- 
ventures than such as are incident to swimming swidlen 
streams and living on short rations, which, in some instances, 
consisted of a handful of flour and a little salt, Avhich they 
]nixed up with water and baked over a cam])fire. A few of 
the ])arty shot, dressed and broiled some muskrats and tried 
to nuike the rest l)elieve they considered them good eating, but 
that diet did not become ])opular. 

In the foregoing account the writer has l)een confined mostly 
to what passed under his own personal observation, for more 
extended ]iiarticulars the reader is refcu-red to the otticial re- 
))ort of Majoi- Williams, and to the accounts written by Tieu- 
tenant ^Maxwell and Governor Carpenter. These two papers 
liavc l)een selected from others equally readable and reliable 
foi- the reason that ]\raxwell, being in ch.arge and taking notes 
at tlie tiuK', would be supjiosed to have a ch'arer recollection 
of <'vents than would otherwise be jiossilde, while (iiovernor 
( 'ai'penter's account of tlie return trip of tlic uuiiu l)oily will 
be taken at its face value. 




CIIAPTKK VLIJ. 

EXTRACT FROM LIKUTKNANT ^rAXWKLL's ACCOUNT 

OF TIIK KXI'KDITION lUKYIX('f TIIK DKAD THE 

rAiri'V 1)I\11>KS CAl'TAIX JOIIXSOX AXl) FIK- 

TKKX OTJIKKS STAKT ACROSS TIIK I'I{A11{IE 

Til KIR TKRRIBLE SUFFERINGS JOIIXSOX AND 

lU'RKIIOLDKR PERISH OX I'lIK I'RAIRIE GOVER- 

X01{ CARI'KXTKr's ACCOIXT OK THE RETURN TRIP 

Ol-' I'lIK MAIN BODY TERRIREK EXPERIENCE ON 

CYI.IXDKR CRKKK IIKROISM OK TIIK OI,I> MA.IOR 

KXTRACT FROM KAKiiHEIx's ACCOUNT. 

E LEFT Fort Dodge March twi'iitv-i'ourtli, but owiiiii' to 
onr coniniissary being hindered in ])rocnring transjxir- 
tation, we were oldiged to eanij) at Badger Creek, not 
more than four or five mih^s north. We now began to 
realize that we were sohlicrs. (\)hl, wet and liungry, we built 
11]) hirge eani])tires, j)rovi(h'd a luisty meal, dried onr clothes as 
well as we could, and without tents lay down and slept soundly. 
"On the morning of the twenty-fifth we resumed our mareJi, 
crossing th(» east branch of the Des Moines without dithculty, 
and cam])ed at Dakota ('ity. The twenty-sixth the road 1h>- 
came more and more difticult. Tn some places the snow was so 
deep that it was necessai'v to break a road before our ti'ains 
could i)ass through. In other places it had drifted in the r.ar 
vines to the dc'])th of eight or ten fovt. The only way to ]n"o- 
ceed was to wade through, stack anus, return and unhitch the 
teams, attach roju's to them and draw them through; then per- 
form a similar o]xu'ation witli the wagons. This performance 
took ))lace every mile or two, and by such progress we were 
two days in reaching ^rcKni^ht's Point on the east bank of 
the west branch of the Des Moines Kiver, twelv<' miles fi'om 
Dakota City. On tlie twenty-seventh we camped at AfcKniglit's 
Point. 

"On the night of the twenty-sixth the command camped out 
on the prairie, but a detail under ('aptaln Duncond)e h.nd gone 
ahead to look out tlu' road to the Point. Duneombe 1iad been 



96 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

ill diirino- the dav, and he became so exhausted that he had to 
be carried into camp, running a very close risk of losing his 
life. 

"Resuming our march on the twenty-eighth, we camped that 
night at S'hippey's, on Cylinder Creek. Sunday, the twenty- 
ninth, we reached the Irish Colony, Emmet County^ and were 
all cared for by the inhabitants who had assembled for protec- 
tion in case of an attack, but were greatly relieved when w-e 
ftame in sight. The morning of the thirtieth found the com- 
mand greatly refreshed, having butchered .a cow that had been 
wintered on prairie hay. The beef was not exactly porter- 
house steak, but it was food for hungry men. We left our 
teams, which were nearly exhausted, and impressed fresh ones. 
We-camj)ed that night near Big Island Grove. At this place 
the Indians had kept a lookout in a big cedar tree that grew 
on an island in the middle of the lake, and their campfires were 
still burning. A platform had been built in this tree, forty 
feet from the ground, from which one could easily see twenty 
miles. The place had probably been deserted several days but 
the fire was still burning. One Indian doubtless kept watch 
here alone, leaving in a northwesterly direction when he 
abandoned the place. 

''The morning of the thirty-first the command moved out 
early. Ten men were sent forward as scouts. When about 
eight miles out we met the Springfield refugees, th^ Churches, 
Thomases, Carver and otthers. We went into camp, and our 
surgeon dressed the wounds of the fleeing party. On the morning 
of April first Major Williams sent an escort with the Spring- 
field people back to the Irish Colony, and proceeded north- 
west, with an advance guard ahead. We camped that night 
at Granger's Point, near the Minnesota line. Here we learned 
that the United States troops from Fort Ridgley were camped 
at the head of Spirit J^ake and that the Indians had fled to 
Owl Lake, some eighteen miles away. As we were on foot and 
the Indians supposed to be mounted, there woidd not be any 
chance of overtaking them. 

"A council was held and it was decided to return the main 
part of the eomniarid to the Irish Colony and wait for the rest 
to come in. Twenty-six men were selected, including those 
liaving friends at the lake, to cross the river, proceed to thar 
|,(iiiit to l)ury the dead, reconnoiter, and see if there were any 



EXTRACT FKOil iMAXWELL's ACCOUNT 97 

who hud escaped the Indians. 1 was one of the party. On the 
morning of tihe second of April, under Capt. J. C. Johnson, 
we crossed the Des Moines River and took a south aaid west 
direction. The traveling was much better than it had been 
since we left Fort Dodge. It was warm and clear. About two 
o'clock we struck East Okoboji Lake on the sout'heast shore. 
The first cabin we came to was that of Mr. T^hatcher. Here 
we found the yard and prairie covered with feathers. Two 
dead men were lying at the rear of the house, both bodies be- 
ing numerously shot in the breast. They evidently had been 
unarmed and everything indicated tlhat they had been sur- 
prised. The rest of the family had been killed in the house 
or taken prisoners, and everything indicated that there had 
been no defense. From here we went to Mr. Howe's, where 
Ave found seven dead bodies. There were one old and one 
middle aged w-oman, one man and four children — all brutally 
murdered. It seemed tihat the man had been killed by plac- 
ing the muzzle of a gun against his nose and blowing his head 
to pieces. The other adult had been simply shot. The chil- 
dren had been knocked in the head. 

"We divided into parties to bury the dead, camping for l^e 
night near the residence of the Howe family. Old Mr. Howe 
was found on the third of April, some distance from the house 
on the ice, shot through the head. We buried him on a bluif 
southwest of the place, some eighty rods from the house. The 
next place was Mr. Mattock's. Here Ave found eleven dead 
bodies and buried them all in one grave, men, A^^omen and 
children. The ground Avas frozen and Ave could only make 
the graA'e about eighteen inches deep. It Avas a ghastly sight. 
The adults had been shot, but the children's brains had been 
knocked out, apparently by striking tlhem across their fore- 
heads Avith heaA'v clubs or sticks of Avood. The brains of one 
boy about ten years of age, had been completely let out of his 
head, and lay upon the ground. Every one else shrank from 
touching them. I Avas in command and feeling that I Avould 
not ask another to do a thing from which myself revolted, I 
gathered up the poor scattered fragments upon the spade and 
placed them all together in the grave. About forty head of 
cattle had been shot at this place, the carcasses split open on 
tlie backs and tenderloins removed — all that the Indians cared 
to carrv off. The house had been l)uvno(l Avith one dead bodv 



98 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

in it at the time. At this place it seems to me that the only 
man who fong^ht the Indians was Doctor Harriott, who had 
formerly lived at Waterloo. He made heroic defense, probablj 
killing and wounding two or three Indians. He was falling 
hack toward Granger's, evidently defending the women and 
children, when he was finally shot himself. He still grasped 
his Sharp's rifle, which was empty and broken off at the 
breech, s.howing that he had fallen in a hand to hand fight. 
I have little idea that any other man iibont the lakes tired 
a gnn at the Indians. It was snmply a surprise and butchery. 

"From here we went to the Grangers', and found the dead 
body of one of the brothers of that name. He had been first 
shot and his he.ad had been split open with a broad axe. life 
and his brother had kept a small store, and the Indians had 
taken everything away excepting some dozen bottles of strych- 
nine. We buried him near his own house. The next house 
was Gardner's. Here were the bodies of ]\Ir. and Mrs. Gard- 
ner, one grown-uj) daugthter, .and two small children in the 
yard, and a baby in th<^ house. 'We buried this family all in 
one grave, about two rods from the house. Tired and hun- 
gry we went into cam]) in a small grove at the r^ear of the 
house, with nothing to eat but potatoes. 

"Some of our party had visited the lake in the fall and 
had seen Mr. Gardner bury two bunjiels of jiotatoes in a box 
under his stove. These we found and roasted in the cam])fire. 
They lasted two days. On the morning of the fourth, we com- 
pleted our sad task, and without any food, turned our faces 
liomeward, taking a southeast course, hoping to reach the Irish 
Colony the same day. In the forenoon it was quite warm, 
melting the snow, and consequently traveling was very diffi- 
cult. W(> were obliged to wade sloughs waist deep or go mile^ 
around mid run the risk of losing the course. ;We were wet to 
tlu' shonlders and while in tliis fearful condition the wind 
changed. About four o'clock a blizzard w.as upon us. In a short 
time onr clothes were frozen stiff. Afany of ns cnt holes in 
our boots to let the water out, and several pnHed their boots 
off and were unable to get them on again. Vp to this time 
llic detaclinient had kept together. About sundown we came 
to a townsliip corner placed tliere the year before. Laughlin 
and I wanted to be governed by the ])it. AVhile we were talk- 
ing, ])art of the detachment came n]) and passed us some dis- 



REACH THE RIVER 99 

tanco to the ri<;lit. Tlioise who ha})pene(l to ho witli Lauglilin 
and me stopped on .a piece of drv ground elose to township* 
corner, determined to remain near it all night, lest in the 
night we should lose our course as shown hy the corner. We 
marched hack and forth all night long. When a comrade 
would fall others would help him to his feet, encourage and 
force him to keej) moving as the only hope, for no living being 
could survive an hour in such a storm without hard exorcise. 
Captain Johnson's party, led hy a trajiju'r, hecanie a little st^j)- 
aratcd from us by a slough, where they found a dry place and 
commenced pacing back and forth as we were doing. They 
were within sj)eaking distance of us. They stayed there all 
night, but in the morning t<H>k a southeast direction, while we 
went east. They seemed to have perfect contidence in the ohl 
tra]i]>er's knowledge of the country. 

■'])uring the night some of our men l)egged to lie down, 
(daiming that it was useless to try to keep up any hunger as 
the ice on their clothes gave them fearful annoyance. But 
the more hopeful would not consent to anyoiu' giving up. In 
this distressed condition we traveled up and down th.at jiath 
all night. 

"One man by the name of Henry Carse from Princeton, 
Illinois, had taken his boots off in the evening and wrapped his 
feet in ])ieces of blanket. He succeeded in getting along as 
well as the rest during the night, but in the morning when wo. 
went on the ice to break a road, his feet got wet .and the wraps 
wore out. I staid with him until Avitliin three or four miles 
of the Des Moines Kiver, when T becanu> satisfied he couhl 
not get there, as his mind had failed. Every time T would 
bring him up he would turn away in any dii-ection. Finally, 
Heury Dalley came along and succeeded in getting him to the 
riv<u'. The river w,as three miles from the Irish ('<dony. We 
had no nuitches, but some of the jiarty knew how to strike a 
fire l)v saturating a dam)) wad with jiowder and shooting it 
into the weeds. In this way w<' succeeded in striking a fire. 
Henry Carse was now unconscious and the blood was run- 
ning from his mouth! We cut the rags from his feet .and the 
skin came off the soles of his feet with the rags. 

"As soon as the fire was well going, Laughlin and I. being 
the least frozen, determined to try and cross the river and reach 
the settlement for help. W<' walked to the middle of tli(> 



100 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

river, laid poles over the weak ice and crawled over. We 
reached the Irish Colony and sent hack help to the rest of the 
j)arty. I went to sleep soon after entering a warm room and 
did not awaken until the next day, when I took some nourish- 
ment and started on to overtake the command under Major 
Williams which had been detained at Cylinder Creek. In the 
morning C. C. Carpenter tried to get a guide to go and help 
search for Johnson and his friend Burkholder, but failed. As 
we left tihe Colony I looked back and saw Carpenter going- 
down the river to see if they had struck the river below. At 
Cylinder Creek the party broke up into squads, each reaching 
his home as best he could, and all of us more or less demoral- 
ized. Laughlin and I came by the way of Fort Dodge, while 
Frank Mason and some of tSlie others came across north of here. 
Most of us had our ears and feet frozen, but we only lamented 
the loss of the slain settlers, and our comrades Johnson and 
Burkholder, whose precious lives had been given for the relief 
of the helpless. But it was alw.ays a wonder to me that we 
did not leave the bones of more of our comrades to bleach 
witlh these on those wild and trackless prairies." 

Concluding portion of Governor C. C. Carpenter's address 
on the same occasion: 

''The third day after commencing our return march, we Icfi 
Medium Lake, in a hazy, cloudy .atmosphere, and a drizzling 
rain. By the time we had reached Cylinder Creek, beneath 
the descending rain overhead and the melting snow beneath 
our feet, the prairies were a flood of water. On arriving at 
Cylinder Creek we found the channel not only full, but the 
water covering the entire bottom bordering the creek to a 
depth of from three to four feet. iWhen we found 
that it Avould be impossible to cross .at a point where 
the road intersected the creek, we resolved to send a party up 
the stream to see if a better crossing could not be found. But 
in less time than I have occupied in telling this story the wind 
began blowing from the north, the rain turned to snow and 
every thread of clothing on the entire command was saturated 
with water and our clotihing began to freeze to our limbs. I 
had still not given up the hope of either crossing the stream or 
finding a more comfortable place to camp, and await the result 
of the now freezing and blinding storm. So with one or two 



ACCOUNT OF GOV. CARPENTER 101 

others I followed down the creek a mile or more, until we 
came to the bluifs overlooking the bottoms bordering the Des 
Moines. I -had hoped we might discover some elevated ridge 
through the bottom, over which we could pass and reach the 
timber that fringed the river. But on reaching the bluffs and 
looking out over the bottom land which fell back from the 
river from one to two miles on either side to their base, it 
was a wide waste of Avater. So we concluded our only hope 
was to remain right where we were until the storm abated. 

"On getting back to the road we found our comrades im- 
provising a cover by taking the wagon sheet and one or two 
tents which we had along, and stretching them over the wagon 
wheels and staking them down as best they could to the frozen 
ground, leaving a small opening on the south side for a door- 
way. This done, we moved the animals to the south side of 
our tent, on ground sloping to the south, in order to afford them 
all the protection possible. Then we put all our blankets to- 
gether, made a common bed upon the ground, and all crawled 
into it without removing our clothes, every thread of which 
was wet, and most of which was frozen as stiff as boards. There 
we lay through tli.at long Saturday night. The air outside 
was full of fine snow. At different times during the night 
three or four of us crept out of our nests and went aroinid 
our tents, banking it with snow on the north, east and west 
sides. And when the fierce winds would blow the banking 
;iway so as to open a new air hole we would repeat the 0]>cr- 
ation. To .add to the horrors of the situation during this more- 
than thirty-six hours of absolute imprisonment, we were with- 
out food. 

"By daylight, on ^Monday morning, we were on the move, 
and to our joy found the ice, which had formed on Cylinder 
Creek the day before, would bear us up. The severity of the 
weather cannot be better attested than by stating the fact that 
all the men, our wagon, loaded with the little baggage of the 
camp, and the few horses belonging to the command, were 
crossed upon this bridge of ice with perfect ease and safety. 
Since that experience upon Cylinder Creek, T have marched 
with armies engaged in actual war. During three and a half 
years' service, the anny with which I was connected marched 
from Cairo to Chattanooga, from Chattanooga to Atlanta, 
from Atlanta to the sea, from the sea through the Carolina? 



102 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

to Kicliiiioiid. These eainpaigns were made under suutlieru 
suns and in the cold rains and not infrequent snow storms of 
southern winters. Thej were sometimes continued without 
intermission three or four days and nights in succession, with 
only an occasional halt to give Avearv, foot-sore soldiers a 
chance to boil a cuj) of coffee. But I never in those weary 
years experienced a conflict with the elements that could he 
com})ared with the two nights and one day on the bank of 
Cylinder ( "reek. 

"After crossing the creek on ^londay morning we went to 
the Shippey house, some two miles south, where we cooked 
our breakfast. From this time forward no order of uuirch 
was observed, but each man found his way home to suit him- 
self. I followed down the river, in company with several 
comrades, to McKnight's Point, wdiere we got our dinner. 
After dinner Lieutenant Stratton, Smith E. Stevens and my- 
self determined we would go on to Dakota, in Humboldt 
County, that afternoon and evening, .and accordingly started. 
We had gone but a short distance wdien George W. Brizee 
came on after us. We tried as delicately as ]>ossible to dis- 
suade him from attempting to go further that evening. I)Ut 
go he would, and so we pushed on. Xight found us on the 
wide prairie some eight or ten miles southeast of ^IcKnight's 
Point and at least eight miles from Dakota. 

"It became very dark, so that it was dithcult to follow the 
track. Soon l^rizee began to complain, declaring he could 
go no further and would have to take his chances on the ])rairie. 
As I had been over the road several times, Stratton and 
Stevens suggested that they would de])end u])on me to guide 
them through; so T ke])t ahead, looking and feeding out tli<' 
l)ath. r could hear them encoui',!iging Brizee, while he ])('i'- 
sisteutly declared his inability to go any further. Stevens fin- 
ally took his blanket and carried it for him, and soon after 
Stratton was carrying his guu. T now told them that irenrv 
Cramer and Judge ITut(dnnson li\-e(l about .;i mile south of 
our road, and some three miles w<'st of Dakota, and tliat we 
would go in thi're and s]iend the night. l>iMzee thought he 
could pull through that far. At last T thought M'c had arrived 
at a ])(dul ntvarly oi)])osite of Cramer's, and we hd't the road 
and struck across the i)rairie. We had scarcely started before 
Brizee began to aver we were lost; that I, like a fool, was 



carpentek's account continued 1<)3 

leading' tliciii a wild-goose chase, and tkat we would all have 
to lie on the prairie. 1 kept on, however, fixing my course 
as well as possible, and shouting back to 'eonie on, that we 
were all right.' Finally we were greeted by the barking of a 
dog, and in a few moments were in Mr. Cramer's house. 
After Cramer and his wife had gotten out of bed and made 
us a i)uid< on tlie floor, and ('ramer had pulliMl oH' 15i'i/.ee s 
boots, lirizee began to re[)eat in various forms tlu' adventures 
of the ovening, emphasizing the persisteney an<l pluck it had 
ve(inired in us to piiU through; and the hearty manner in 
which he commended my skill as a guide, over a trackless 
prairie, was hardly consistent with the upbraiding whilst we 
were plodding along in the darkness. The next morning ^frs. 
Cramer prepared the best breakfast I ever ate. ^[y mouth 
waters today in memory of the biscuits which were ])iled up 
on that breakfast table. I have often thought since that t''.'".'e 
could have been but little left for the family dinner. That 
evening fcumd us in Fort Dodge and our connection with the 
expedition had ended. 

*'[ hav<' frequently tliougiit in later years of the good disci- 
pline ])reserved in a connnand where there was absolutely 
no legal power to enforce authority. This fact is really the 
highest compliment that could l)e paid the officers. Had they 
Jiot possessed the characteristics Avhich secured and nuiintained 
the respect of these men no shadow of discipline could have 
been enforced. On the contrary, during those trying days, on 
the march and in the bivouac, there was comj)lete order. Of 
the three captains, two are living — Messrs. Ricduirds and Hun- 
condx'. Their subsecpient careers in civil life have been but 
a fulfillment of the ])roph(H'y of the men who followed them 
through the snow l)aid<s of northwestern Towa in 1857. With 
(^a])tain Johnson I was but little acquainted, but T watclu'd 
him with interest and with admiratiou during the few days of 
our march. He was a man of fine ])hysi<jue, was (hdiberate, 
quiet almost to reticence, with a handsome face and manly 
eye. Tn short, from what T saw of him, T may say that the 
marble and brass, whi(di we have come here today to unveil 
in commemoi".ation of him and his company's virtu(>s and hero- 
ism are not of a more sdjid ;md enduring character iliau were 
(he nolile and g<'nei'ous traits of his nature. His ciMiel death and 
that of his nob!.' and jjromising comrade, Willia;ii K. I.-urk- 



104 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



IOWA 




WILLIAM E. BURKHOLDER. 



holder was the one circumstance Avhich veiled the results of 
the expedition in a lasting sorrow. 

"The First Lieutenant of Company A, Franklin E. Strat- 
ton, was perhaps more fully endowed with all the qualities 
which constitute a soldier than any other man in the com- 
pany, or ])erliaps of the command. He was quiet, prompt, un- 
complaining, methodical, and in the line of his duty exacting. 
Remembering my comradeship with him on the Spirit Lake 
Expedition when he went in the War of the Rebellion, I 
prophesied for him a successful career. He rose to be the 
Colonel of his regiment, and died a few years ago a Captain 
of the regular army. 

"But time fails me to name ,all who deserve honorable men- 
tion. I cannot close, however, without paying a few w^ords 
of tribute to Major William Williams, who commanded the 
exoedition. Having been the sutler of the battalion of reg- 
ulars which was stationed at Fort Dodge, he knew something 
of the movements ,and sustenance of trooj)s. He had the abil- 
ity to make that knowledge available. There was a quiet, 



LAUGHLIN TELLS HOW THE PARTY DIVIDED 105 

coiifident air in his deportment that commanded respect, and 
he moved those nndisciplincd men as quietly and as orderly 
as would have been possible by ,an experienced soldier. I have 
never thought that full justice had been done to the man who 
led this expedition, and Avho in many ways proved his interest 
and faith in the pioneers of northwestern Iowa. So I have 
turned aside, here and now, to speak a tardy word in recogni- 
tion of his many noble qualities. He was born in Westmore- 
land County, Pennsylvania, December 5, 1796, and died at 
Fort Dodge, February 26, 1874, and at the date of these events 
was in the sixty-second year of his age. BOe was reared a 
banker, and for years was cashier of the branch of the Ex- 
change Bank of Pittsburg, located at Holidaysburg. But he 
had been an open-handed, generous giver ; had no innate love 
of gain ; so he lost money instead of making accumulations, 
and sought the great iWest to rebuild his broken fortunes. jV<)w 
he was a man well advanced in years. It was not easy for 
younger men to complain of hardships of the march when, day 
by day, they saw him resolutely pushing forward. 

"The action of Hamilton County in thus inscribing his name 
upon an enduring tablet is a silent protest against the neglect 
and oversight of his own county, and the town which was the 
idol of his affection. Emerson has said tliat 'they who forget 
the battles of their country will have to fight them over again.' 
So they who forget the unselfish deeds of their countrymen 
will themselves be unworthy of a place in history. TsText to 
a hero is the man who can appreciate a hero. All honor then 
to the citizens of a county that in these 'piping times of peace' 
can pause for a day and step out of the busy channel of com- 
merce to gather some of the names of a generation of self^ 
sacrificing pioneers into history's golden urn." 

A few extracts from Mr. Laughlin's account written for the 
same occasion as the others will make some points a little 
plainer, especially as to how the party came to divide up and 
how they got together again after crossing the river. 

The Major's parting injunction was, "Boys, keep together, 
whatever happens." But this advice was easier given than 
followed. The first division was at the Gardner cabin Avhen 
the party of seven refused to venture across the prairie over 



106 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

a route which none of the party knew anything about, and 
insisted on returning by the same route they went up, wliich 
was to strike the river at Emmet, cross there and go down on 
the east side. The second division was when the party reached 
Mud Creek, and is told by Mr. Laughlin as follows : 

"About noon we came to a large stream and had to follow 
up and down some time before finding a crossing. Two of our 
men, Robert McCormick and Owen Spencer, went far above 
and crossed and separated from us, but finally succeeded in 
getting through to the colony in s.afety. * * * Late in 
the afternoon we came to some small lakes with some scatter- 
ing trees on the opposite side. By this time the wind changed 
suddenly and it began to grow colder. * * * The lake 
was apparently between us and the course we ought to take 
and we followed close around the shore. Off to the west side 
lay ,a large marsh covered with tall grass. Those in advance 
passed between marsh and lake and succeeded in getting 
around, when we discovered that Captain Johnson, Burk- 
holder, Addington, George Smith and one other (Jonas Mur- 
ray), five men in all, had dropped off in our rear and were 
going around the marsh. We expected they would return to 
us when they got around, but as it was growing dark and we 
could still see them on high ground beyond, we thought best 
to try and go to them, as Major Williams' parting advice was 
'stick together, boys,' but they soon passed out of our sight into 
the darkness. We then retraced our steps, passed the south 
end 'i the lake, and traveled directly eas). * * * We traveled 
until abou! nine o'clock, when we halted, fi'iding we ware mak- 
ing but little headway, having to meander ponds and wade 
streams that were fast freezing, and decided to go no further 
until morning. Soon the most of us were tumbled down in a 
promiscuous heap, lying close to keep one another w.arm, on 
the naked, burned prairie. Our ])ants were a sheet of ice. 
Some had blankets, l)ut many only their wet clothes. 

"Lieutenant Maxwell and myself did lot lie down during 
that terrible night, but kept tramping around and occasionally 
rousing the slee])ers and making them stir around to keep 
from freezing. T ox]x>^cted we would all be frozen before 
morning. I had taken my socks off the day before and wrung 



HOW THE PARTIES DIVIDED 



107 




ihem out and carried tlieiii in my pocket an.d as soon .as M'e 
haUed I pulled off my boots, rej)laced my .-ocks and put im my 
boots again. I thus saved my foot and L got through without 
freezing any part. The following morning the sun was clear 
and wo were in sight of tindx'r directly east, eight or ten milc^ 
away. I was among the last to leavo our camping ground. 1 
romejnber picking up one empty ])rovision sack au'l following 
on. I soon overtook ^fr. Oarse, the ohh'st and best clad man 
in our party, having double mackinaw blank(>ts and a fur over- 
coat. He was on the sunny side of a go])her hill trying to put 
on his boots M^iich he had pulled off at night. I passed him 



1U8 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

without a thought that they were frozen so that he could not 
get thein on. The ponds and also the streams where there was 
not much current were frozen, so they bore our weight. Most 
of the men made a bee line, wading streams, running slush 
ice, but I was more fortunate, being long and light; by seek- 
ing places that were iced over and crawling at full length I 
got over without getting wet. Elias KeHogg and myself were 
tirst getting to the timber. I immediately went about starting 
.a fire. I had no matches and neither had the others. My gun 
was empty and my jDowder 'drV, so I put a charge of powder 
in my gun and loaded with some cotton from out of my vest 
lining. I discharged it into some rotten wpod, which caught, 
and by jDouring on more powder knd with vigorous blowing I 
succeeded in starting a fire. 

^'Lieutenant Maxwell was among the first to get to the tim- 
l)er, .and l)y the time we got our fire well to going most of the 
boys had straggled in. Mr. Carse came in last, led by Henry 
Dally, a mere boy poorly clad, whom Mr. Carse had befriended 
by taking him under his double blankets that night. Carse 
had his boots in his hands and was ill and delirious. The 
soles of his fe€t were worn out walking on the frozen ground. 
Kellogg was the next object of attention. He had seated him- 
self by a tree and was almost helpless and unconscious of his 
misery. We had to arouse him and cut his frozen overalls 
aAvay. Had he been left alone he; Would probably have never 
risen from his condition. With a^ good i^e we were soon 
warmed. * * * xhe river had to be crossed. It was high 
and full of floating ice, but we got some long poles and with 
this help crossed from one cake- of ice to another .and reached 
the other side. * * * Ko sooner was the advance party 
over than the others all followed, and when we gained the 
open ground on the other side, we could see the colony as con- 
jectured, and footsore and weary as we were, we soon made the 
distance. We found Major Williams and a part of the men 
there waiting for us, with much anxiety. Major Williams 
had made preparations for us. Fresh beef from the poor set- 
tlers' poorer oxen was cooked and ready. * * * The next 
morning Smith, Addington and Murray came. They had been 
to another cabin further on, and finding some provision, had 
stayed all night. They stated that they had separated from 
Captain Johnson and Burkholder early the previous morning; 



laughlin's account concluded 109 

that they had taken their boots off at iiiuhl .iiiid they were 
frozen so they could not get them on, and while they were 
cutting up their blankets and getting them on their feet they 
had disagreed as to the course to be taken. Pulling off their 
boots was a fatal mistake. To reach the place where their 
bones were found eleven years afterwards, they must have 
traveled all that day and part of the next night, and Lave lain 
do^^^l together in the sleep that knows no awakening." 

E'rom the foregoing extract it will Ix? noticed that the way 
in which the party broke up and the members became separated 
was about as follows : First, Spencer and McCormick left the 
main body when they reached Mud Creek in Lloyd to^vIlship, 
they going up the creek to find a better crossing. Where they 
crossed or how they crossed the Des Moines is not now 
known, but they were the first to reach the settlement. The 
next break was late in the afternoon, when on reaching a 
large marsh the main body passed it on the east, while Johnson, 
Burkholder, Smith, Addington and Murray passed to the west 
of it. They did not come together again that night, but were 
within kailing distance of each other. Murray was a trapper, 
had visited the lakes the year before and claimed to know some- 
thing of the country, but proved a poor guide. Johnson and 
Burkholder separated from the other three sometime in the 
forenoon of the second day, going southeast, about parallel 
with the Des !Moines River. ITow Smith, Addington and ]\[ur- 
i-ay got in lias already been told, also the main body under 
Maxwell and Laughlin. The great wonder is that any of them 
lived through that terrible experience. 

The October number of Annals of Iowa for 1898, contains 
several accounts of this trip written by different members of 
the expedition. Ex-Governor C. C. Carpenter, Hon. J. F. 
Duncombe, Captain C. B. Richards, Lieutenant J. N. Max- 
well, W. K. Laughlin, Michael Sweeney and Frank Mason are 



110 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

each represented in tliat pnl)lication. Harris Hoover also 
wrote an account which appeared in the Hamilton Freeman 
during the summer of 1857. He afterwards revised it and it was 
published in The Annals. These several accounts agree in all of 
the main incidents, and yet each one notices something that 
is overlooked bv the rest. Taking them collectively they give 
a full and intelligent summary of the facts of this the most 
remarkable expedition connected with the history of Iowa. 




CH AFTER TX. 

INKPADUTAir AT IIEROX LAKE OTHER BANDS 

OF IXDIANS AFFAIRS AT SPRINGFIELD THE 

ATTACK AND DEFENSE A VIVID ACCOUNT BY 

HON. CHARLES ALDRICII HEROISM OF AIRS. 

CHURCH. 

HE EAST mention made of Inkpad Utah's band was that 
they were camped at Heron Lake preparatory to their 
attack on Springfiehl. This is so closely connected with 
the massacre at the lakes that the story of one is incom- 
plete without the other. According to Mrs. Sharp's account there 
were two other bands of Indians in addition to lukpadutah's who 
were hovering .along the western border of Iowa and Minnesota. 
She says: "In the fall of 185G a small party of Indians 
came and ])itehed their tents in tlu' neighborhood of Spring- 
field. There was also a larger band, under the chieftainship 
of Ishtahaba, or Sleepy Eye, encamped ,at Big Island Grove 
on the same river." 

The "Big Island Grove" here referred to is the same one 
mentioned by Major Williams in his official report, and also 
by Lieutenant Maxwell and Harris Hoover in their accounts 
of the expedition. It is none other than the grove on the north 
side of High Lake in Emmet County. 

When Major Williams' force was on the march it was cur- 
rently reported that Sleepy Eye was encamped with a large 
body of Indians .at this grove, and as the expedition neare«l 
the place the scouts were doubled and extra })recautions taken. 
Upon arriving there evidences were plenty of the recent occu- 
pation of the place by the Indians, but notliing to indicate the 



112 DICKINSON COUNTY -IOWA 

presence of a large party. The lookout .and the abandoned 
campfire, mentioned by Lieutenant Maxwell, were there, 
also a canoe partly finished which the Indians were making 
from a black w.alnut log. Everything went to prove that 
Indians had been there^ but not in large numbers, and it is 
highly probable that the force under Sleepy Eye has been 
greatly exaggerated. 

It is said that these Indians were on friendly terms with 
the whites during the winter. To how great an extent they were 
concerned in the troubles that afterward occurred is not fully 
known, but that they knew of the massacre at the lakes and 
participated in the attack on Springfield and shared in the 
plunder is pretty generally believed. Mrs. Sharp, in referring 
to events preceding the attack, says : 

"On the twentieth of March two strange and suspicious look- 
ing Indians visited jWood's store and purchased a keg of pow- 
der, some shot, lead, baskets, beads and other trinkets. Each of 
them had a double barreled gun, a tomahawk and a knife, and 
one, a very tall Indian, was painted black — ^so said one who saw 
them. * * * Soon afterward Black Builalo, one of the 
Springfield Indians, said to the whites that the Indians who 
were at the store told his squaw that they had killed all of the 
people at Spirit Lake." 

Shortly after this the Springfield Indians left, but before 
going they told the whites that Inkpadutah's band had started 
for the Big Sioux and that there was no danger from them. 
During all of this time Inkpadutah was encamped at Heron 
Lake, preparatory to his attack on Springfield, which was 
made on Friday the twenty-seventh of March. 

The settlement consisted of the /Wood brothers, who were 
keeping a kind of general store and trading .alike with the 
Indians and whites, and the families of Mr. Thomas, Stewart, 
Wheeler, Doctor Strong, Doctor Skinner, Smith, and 



AFFAIRS AT SPRINGFIELD 113 

one or two others, ^fr. Markham, after making the discovery 
of the massacre at the lakes, made his way to Springfield and 
was at the house of Mr. Thomas at the time of the .attack. It 
.was he who carried the news of the massacre at the lakes and 
the people acted on his information in making preparations 
for defense and safety. On hearing of the trouHe at tlie 
lakes, several families congregated at the house of Mr. Thomas 
for mutual protection, and several other persons assembled at 
the cabin of Mr. Wheeler for the same purpose. 

Two trusty messengers, Charles Tretts and Henry Chiffen, 
were dispatched to Fort Ridgley, with a petition setting forth 
the massacre at the lakes, their defenseless condition and ask- 
ing for .aid. Fort Ridgley is located some seventy-five miles 
to the north of Jackson, and at that time there was no trail 
nor any settlement at any point on the route. They made the 
trip on snow shoes and it can easily be imagined that it was 
no picnic. They had not yet returned when the attack was 
made on the settlement, but were hourly expected. iWhen the 
people on the Des ^Moines first heard of the massacre at the lakes 
they were filled with anxiety and apprehension, but .as the time 
wore on and the attack failed to materialize they began to 
have some hopes that they would be spared, at least until they 
could receive government aid. Tw^o weeks had now passed 
since they had heard of the trouble, and during this time thcv 
had kept continually on the alert, determined to make what 
resistance they were able in case of an attack. 

Opinion seems to have been somewhat divided as to the 
probability of an attack. The Wood brothei*s, with whom the 
Springfield Indians had done considerable trading during the 
winter, would not ]:>elieve the reports of the massacre. They 
had also traded with Inkpadutah's baiul when du tlicir w.aY 
down the Little Sioux the fall before, and scouted the idea of 
there being any danger.. Indeed they carried this feeling to 



114 DICKINSON COUNTY - loWA 

such an extent that some of the settlers acciused them of being 
in league with the Indians. So positive were they that there 
was no danger that, against the remonstrance of the settlers, 
they sold the Indians ammunition only a few days before the 
outbreak, receiving in payment money that had doubtless been 
taken from the victims of the Spirit Lake Massacre. 

As before noted, tlio attack was made on the afternoon of the 
twenty-seventli of JMareh. It seems that the men of the party 
who were forted up at the Thomas cabin had been cutting and 
hauling wood during the day and had come in about three o'clock 
in the afternoon for their dinners, and after eating dinner were 
sitting around the fire talking and smoking when the attack 
occurred, the details of which are given in the graphic account 
written by Hon. C^harles Aldrich, whicli is given in the fol- 
lowing pages. HIad the attack been made two hours earlier, 
while the men were in the timber at work, in all probability 
the entire settlement would have been wiped out. 

The attack on AVood's place was doubtless made before that 
at Thomas'. Mrs. Sharp says: ''The confidence of William 
Wood in the friendship of the Indians proved altogether a de- 
lusion. He was one of the first who fell. It appears that after 
he was killed the Indians heaj^ed brush upon his body .and set 
fire to it. His brother, George, had evidently attempted to 
escape, hut was overtaken by the Indians in the woods and shot 
down." It will be remembered that the 'Wood brothers were 
the owners of the dry goods store robbed by the Indians. The 
Indians must have been divided into two parties, as Mr. Stew- 
art's and l\Ir. Thomas' places were attacked .about the same time. 
An Indian well known to the settlers, who had always pro- 
fessed to be fri<'ndly, went to the home of Mr. Stewart and 
wanted to l)uy a hog. Mr. Stewart started to go with him to 
the pen, whi-n concealed Indians fired on him, killing him 
instantly. The balance of Mr. Stewart's family were then dis- 



THE ATTACK AND DEFENSE 115 

patched, with the exception of the oldest child, a boy about 
eight years old, who escaped by hiding behind a log, where 
he remained until .after the savages left. lie then made his 
way to the Thomas cabin, arriving shortly after the Indians 
had been repulsed at that point. 

The following article on the defense at Springfield, and the 
heroic conduct of John Bradshaw, and the bravery of Mrs. 
Church, was written by the lion. Charles Aldrich and read by 
Jiini before the meeting for inauguration of Memorial Tablet at 
Webster City, in August, 1887 : 

"We have placed conspicuously on this beautiful tablet the 
names of Mrs. 'William L. Church and her sister. Miss Drusilla 
Swanger, with a high tribute to those heroines. Why we have 
done this I will briefly explain. Xot many months before the 
massacre, the Churches had settled at Springfield, Minnesota, 
some fifteen miles from Spirit Lake, and about eight miles north 
of the Iowa line. They resided there when Inkpadutah's band 
so terribly raided the little settlement at Spirit Lake. Of this 
massacre Mrs. Abbie Gardner Sharp gives a full and most vivid 
]iarration in her book. At that time, in the absence of Mr. 
Church to this county (lI>amilton), his wife was living in their 
log house with her two little boys and her sister. When the news 
came to this settlement of four or five families of the murders 
at Spirit Lake, the i)eople assembled at, the home of Mr. Thomas, 
one of the settlers, and prepared to defend themselves. This 
was what is called a double log house, quite a large building for 
that locality at that day, and standing in the margin of the oak 
grove, not far from the west branch of the Des Moines River. 
There were in the party Mr. Tliomas, his wife and five chil- 
dren ; Mrs. Church, her two children and sister ; Mrs. Strong and 
two children, ]Miss Eliza Gardner, Jared Palmer, David Carver 
and John Bradshaw. * * * Just after they had assembled, two 
young men, whose names I have forgotten, volunteered to go 
on foot to Fort Ridgley, seventy-five miles »\vay, and appeal 
for aid. Those who were left were well armed, ix^asonably pro- 
visioned, stout of heart and determined to make the best defense 
in their power if they should be assailed. 



116 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

"A week had nearly passed when little Willie Thomas, aged 
nine, came running in, exclaiming that the boys were coming 
who had gone for the soldiers. This was good news, and the 
people rushed to the door, foiming .a little group just outside. 
Sure enough two men were seen coming dressed like whites, but 
they were Indians in the clothing of men killed at Spirit Lake. 
Just then the main party of the Indians, who were approaching 
from another direction, fired a volley from a dozen pieces into 
the group of men, women and children near the door. Willie 
Thomas was shot through the head and fell to the ground ; Miss 
Swanger was shot through the shoulder, inflicting a severe flesh 
wound; Thomas was shot through the left arm, which was 
broken and bled profusely; Carver was shot in the body, and 
for a time suffered the severest pain. 

''All except the wounded boy rushed into the house and 
speedily barricaded the doors and windows. In fact the poor 
boy seems to have been forgotten for the instant, but it mattered 
little in the result. The firing on both sides now became hot 
and frequent and continued so for two or three hours. Port- 
holes were made on the four sides of the house by removing the 
chinking from between the logs. Through these the besieged 
could plainly see the Indians without exposing themselves. 
Whenever .an Indian showed himself he was fired upon and so 
they were held at bay. Several times, however, the red devils 
made a rush toward the house, which they wished to set on fire, 
but each time discretion proved the better part of valor and 
they fell back. During this time the condition of things in this 
remote little fortress can scarcely be imagined or described. 

"Miss Swanger and Mr. Thomas were bleeding profusely 
from their wounds, while the little wounded boy lay shrieking 
and groaning outside. The little fellow lived about two hours, 
when death mercifully ended his sufferings. At one time the 
poor mother feared her husband would bleed to death in spite of 
everything she could do, while the shrieks and groans of the dy- 
ing boy just outside the door could be distinctly heard. Miss 
Swanger at first bled very freely, but Mrs. Church stuffed her 
handkerchief under her sister's dress and so stopped the flow of 
blood, wliile Mrs. Thomas bound up her husband's arm and 
stopped the bleeding, which otherwise would have ended his life. 
Mrs. Church and Miss Gardner loaded the guns .and kept watch 
at some of the portholes. At one time it was thought their 



CHARLES ALDRICH'S ACCOUNT 117 

bullets would be exhausted, and Misses Swanger and Gardner 
cast some from an old iron spoon. 

"The tight went on until the dusk of evening was beginning 
to come on. It then happened that Mrs. Church and Miss Gard- 
ner were in one of the rooms watching while the men were in 
the other. They now saw ,an Indian dodging behind a large 
oak tree. While here he kept peering out toward the house. 
N^o man was handy to Mraw a be.ad' upon him and Mrs. Church 
picked up a shotgun heavily charged with buckshot and leveled 
it in that direction. Presently he stuck his head out again 
farther than before. Mrs. Church says, 'T plainly saw a large 
dark object by the sidp of the tree, which I knew to be the head 
of an Indian, and at this I discharged the gun. I was terribly 
excited and fell back and cannot tell you whether I hit him or 
not. I certainly w^anted to kill him.' Miss Gardner, who was 
Avatching the Indian, averred that she plainly saw him fall. 

"In the account written at my instance for the Hamilton 
Freeman, by Jareb Palmer, who was one of tlie besieged, he 
states it as a fact that Mrs. Church killed the Indian. * * * 
A year or more later the body of an Indian was found upon a 
rude platform in a tree top, tree burial being the custom of the 
tribe. The body was^then wrapped in a buffalo robe .and some 
white woman's feather pillow was .under his head. What was 
left of this dusky brave was tumbled doA^ai upon the ground by 
the men of IT. B. Martin's command, from our county. The 
skull was brought to me and I sent it to the Phrenological col- 
lection of Fowler and Wells, New York City. I saw it there 
some time later with a notice which had appeared in the Free- 
man pasted across the forehead. Upon the return of some of 
the men to the locality a few months later the tree was examined 
and part of the charge of buckshot was still imbedded in it near 
the spot where Mrs. Church had aimed and the other p.art had 
plainly passed on. It would thus seem to be settled as nearly 
as such an event can be proven that she killed one of the aissail- 
ants. 

"Immediately after this event the Indians ce.ased firing and 
left the place. * * * 

"One of the settlers, a man named Stewart, with his wife and 
three children, had been stopping at the Thomas house. Fort 
Thomas it really deserves to be called henceforth, but the poor 
wife and mother became insane through her fears of the In- 



118 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




M^:) ^^'jf ^/</iM/^ 



(Hans, and Ix^iiig in sncli a crowd of i>eo2)le added to lier discom- 
fort and mental trouble. Her husband finally concluded to 
return to their own house a mile or so distant, believing tihe 
danger had passed aw,ay. But the same band which had in- 
vested the Thomas house came to Stewart's. They called him 
to the door and shot him the instant he appeared. The fiends 
then murdered the insane mother and the two little girls. The 
boy, Johnny, who was eight or nine years of age, managed to 
The Indians plundered the cabin and soon 



hide behind a log. 



HEROISM OF MRS. CHURCH 119 

left. The boy then fled to the double log house, where he was 
recognized and taken in at one of the windows. 

"The home of the Churches was also pillaged and everything 
movable carried .away or destroyed. The other houses in the 
settlement shared the same fate, A span of horses was in the 
barn at the Thomas place, but the Indians took them away when 
they left. When darkness came at last, the besieged determined 
to start south toward the nearest settlement with an ox team and 
sled, which was the only means left them. The oxen were 
yoked, hitched to the sled ujxin which were placed the wounded, 
the little children and such provisions .and clothing as could 
be carried. The forlorn little party, Avith this poor means 
of locomotion, probably started near the middle of the night, 
traveling very slowly, as the ground was covered with snow. 
Mrs. Church and her sister each led or carried one of her little 
boys. The march was kept up until the oxen tired out, when 
there was ^a short rest. Progress was very slow and most weari- 
some for some two days. Finally on the third day they saw 
several men ap])roaching from the south, whom they mistook 
for Indians. 

"This was a trying time for the poor refugees. The men, 
who were rapidly advancing upon them, wore shawls, which 
made them look like Indi.ans with blankets. Then it was evi- 
dent that they were well armed. Some of the women and chil- 
dren were wild with affright, and gave utterance to shrieks and 
lamentations. Two of the men were helpless from wounds, 
and another w^as not naturally an Indian fighter, though doubt- 
less brave enough. John Bradshaw thought his time had come, 
but far from flinching, he took their eight loaded guns and stack- 
ed them some rods in advance. He asked the other well men to 
stay with the women and children .and wounded and keep them 
from embarrassing him .and he would sell his life as dearly as 
])0ftsible. Thns the dauntless hero stood nntil he saw a sig- 
nal from the advancing ]>arty and knew they were friends. 
When the latter came np his face was pale as ashes, but no 
one doubted that he w^onld have fought while life lasted. We 
can well imagine that men can be brave when surrounded by 
other brave men, whatever the odds. But what a grand figure 
was that of our Hamilton County Bradshaw, going out alone 
to yield np his life, as he supposed, in so hopeless .a fight with 
merciless savages. It seems to me that that was a scene for a 



120 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

painter or sculptor, and that some time it will be placed upon 
canvas or in imperishable marble for the adornment of our 
m.a!gnificent Capitol. Where did you ever read of any thing- 
more grandly heroic ? The terrible alarm was turned in an 
instant into an abandonment of equally wild rejoicing, for the 
comers were a detachment from the expedition under Major 
Williams, and Mr. Church was with them. Mrs. Church and 
her young sister had worn their dresses off to the knees in walk- 
ing through the crusted snow, and their shoes were nearly gone. 
They were almost exhausted from the toilsome march, lack of 
food, exposure to the inclement weather, and the terrible .anxie- 
ties of the preceding week. 

"But I need take no more time with this narrative. The 
Churches returned to this county, where they resided until the 
spring of this year (1887), when they went to Washington Ter- 
ritory, whither two of their children and Miss Swanger (now 
Mrs. Gillispie) had preceded them. Mr. Church was also a 
soldier of the Union army as well as a veteran of the Mexican 
War. All who have known them will agree with me that the 
permanent record of their actions and sufferings, the heroism 
of these matchless women in our pioneer days, has been well 
deserved." 



-=!—=—= 



CHAPTER X. 

TKOOPS FROM FOKT RIDGLEY REACH SPRINGFIELD 
TilEIR SUFFERING JUDGE FLANDRAu's AC- 
COUNT THE INDIANS START WEST THE PURSUIT 

PURSUIT ABANDONED INDIANS REACH THE BIG 

SIOUX TRAGIC DEATH OF MRS. THATCHER CROSS 

THE BIG SIOUX AND MOVE WESTWARD CAMP VIS- 
ITED BY TWO AGENCY INDIANS THEY PURCHASE 

MRS. MARBLE AND START BACK INKPADUTAH 

SELLS MRS. NOBLE AND MISS GARDNER TO A YANK- 
TON MRS. NOBLE MURDERED BY ROARING CLOUD 

THEY REACH JAMES RIVER THE YANKTON 

CAMP ARRIVAL OF THREE INDIANS FROM THE 

AGENCY THEY PURCHASE MISS GARDNER THE 

RETURN TRIP ARRIVE AT THE AGENCY THE WAR 

CAP THE JOURNEY TO ST. PAUL. 

TIE next day after the attack on the settlement and the day 
before the Indians broke camp at Heron Lake, and while 
the refugees were slowly making their Avay through snow 
and slush into Iowa, the messengers, who had been sent 
to Fort Ridgley for aid, returned, accompanied by a company 
of regular troops under the command of Captain Bee and Lieu- 
tenant Murray. Could they have arrived thirty hours earlier 
the Springfield massacre would have been prevented, and pos- 
sibly the savages brought to justice. But that was not to be. 
In point of suffering, hardships and privation the trip of tliis 
band of regulars from Fort Ridgley was the counterpart of 
that of Major Williams' volunteers from Fort Dodge, and on 
their arrival they were well nigh exhausted. 



122 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Judge Flandrau, iu writing of this expedition, sajs : 

"The people of Springfield sent two young men to my .agency 
with the news of the massacre. They brought with them 
a statement of the facts as related by Mr. Markham, 
signed by some persons with whom I was acquainted. They 
came on foot and arrived at the agency on the eighteenth of 
March. The snow was very deep and was beginning to thaw, 
which made the traveling extremely difficult. When these young 
men arrived they were so badly afflicted with snow blindness 
that they could scarcely see at all and were completely worn 
out. I was fully satisfied of the truth of the report that mur- 
ders had been committed, although the details of course were 
very meager. I at once held a consultation with Colonel Alex- 
ander, commanding the Tenth United States Infantry, five or 
six companies of which were at Fort Ridgley. The Colonel, 
with commendable promptness, ordered Captain Barnard E. 
Bee with his company to proceed at once to the scene of the 
massacre and do all he could, either in the way of protecting the 
settlers or punishing the enemy. 

"The country between the Minnesota River at Ridgley and 
Spirit Lake was, at that day, an utter wilderness, without an 
inhabitant. In fact, none of us knew where Spirit Lake was, 
except that it lay about due south of the fort at a distance of 
from one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five 
miles. We procured two guides of experience among 
our Sioux half-breeds. * * * These men took a 
pony and a light train to carry the blankets and 
provisions, put on their snowshoes and were ready to go any- 
where, while the poor troops, with their leather shoes and their 
backloads, accompanied by a ponderous army wagon on wheels, 
drawn by six mules, were about as fit for such a march as an 
elej^hant is for a ballroom. But it was the best the government 
had, and they entered upon the arduous duty bravely and 
cheerfully. * * * We started on March nineteenth^ at 
.about one o'clock, P. M., at first intending to go straight across 
the country, but we soon decided that course to be utterly im- 
possible, as the mules could not draw the wagon through the 
deep snow. It became apparent that our only hope of reach- 
ing the lake was to follow the road down by the way of N'ew 
TJlm to Mankato, and trust to luck for a road up the Waton- 
wan in the direction of the lake, we having learned that some 
teams had recently started for that jdacc with some su])plies. 



PURSUIT BY U. S. TROOPS 123 

The first days of the mai-ch were appalling. The men were 
wet nearly np to their waists with the deep and molting snow 
and utterly weary before they had gone ten miles. 

"Neither of the officers had ever made a snow camp before 
and when we had dug out a place for our first camp and were 
making futile efforts to dry our clothes before turning in for 
the night, I felt that the trip was hopeless. So much time 
had elapsed since the murders were committed, and so much 
more would necessarily be consumed before the troops could 
possibly reach the lake, that I felt assured that no good could 
result from going on. I told Captain Bee that if he wanted 
to return I would furnish him with a written opinion of two 
of the most experienced voyageiirs on the frontier that the 
march was impossible of accomplishment with the inappro])ri- 
ate outfit with which the troops were furnished. * * * 
The Captain agreed with me that the chances of accomplishing 
any good by going on were very small, but he read his orders 
and in .answer to my suggestion, 'My orders are to go to Spirit 
Lake and do Avhat I can. It is not for me to interpret thorn 
but to obey them. I shall go on until it becomes physically 
impossible to proceed further. Then it will be time to turn 
back.' And go on he did. .-We followed the trail up the Wa- 
tonwan until we found the teams that had made it stuck in a 
snow drift, and for the remaining forty or fifty miles the 
troops marched ahead of the mules and broke a road for them, 
relieving the front rank every fifteen or twenty minutes. 

"When the lake was reached the Indians were gone. A care- 
ful examination was made of their camp and fires by the 
guides, Avho pronounced them three or four days old. Their 
trail led to the west. A pursuit was made by a portion of 
the command, partly mounted on mules and partly on foot, 
but it was soon abandoned on the declaration of the guides 
that the Indians were by the signs several days in advance. 

* * * I learned afterwards by "NFrs. "^^arble, one of the 
rescued women, that the troops in pursuit came so near that 
the Indian's saw them and nuirle an ambush for them, and ha 1 
they not turned back the prisoners would have all been mur- 
dered. The guides may have Ix^en mistaken or they may have 
deceived the troops. I knew the young men so well th.at T 
never have accused them of a betrayal of their trust, but it was 
probably best as it was in either case, l>ecause had the troojis 



124 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

overtaken the Indians the women would have certainly been 
butchered and some of the soldiers killed. The satisfaction 
of having killed some of the Indians would not have compen- 
sated for this result." 

The Indians were absent from their camp at Heron Lake 
in making their attack on Springfield two days, when they 
returned laden with plunder. Mrs. Sharp says : 

"They had twelve liorses heavily laden with dry goods, gro- 
ceries, powder, lead, bed quilts, wearing apparel, provisions, 
etc. Among this plunder were several bolts of calico and red 
flannel. Of these, especially the fl.annel, they were exceedingly 
proud, decorating themselves with it in fantastic fashion. Red 
leggings, red shirts, red blankets and red in every conceivable 
way was the stjde there as long as it lasted." 

The next morning after their return from the attack on 
Springfield, they broke camp at Heron Lake and started west 
with their prisoners and plunder. 

The incidents of this weary march through the melting snows 
and across swollen streams are vividly portrayed by Mrs. 
Sharp in her thrilling narrative, but are too lengthy to be 
given here in detail. A few of the main events will be briefly 
noticed. The Indians must have been very^ deliberate in their 
movements from place to place after leaving their Heron Lake 
camp, or rather after the pursuit was .abandoned. According 
to Mrs. Sharp's account they were six weeks in making the 
journey from Heron Lake to the place of crossing the Big 
Sioux, near the present tinvn of Flandrau. ISTow, the distance 
from Heron Lake to Flandrau is not far from one hundred 
miles, so their progress could not have .averaged more than 
twenty miles a week. 

It has already been stated that Captain Bee's company of 
regulars arrived from Fort Ridgley the day before the Indians 
broke canii) at IFerini Lake. Their terri])l<' luirdships and suf- 



PURSUIT ABANDONED 125 

ferings on that trip have already been referred to. They were 
in no condition to pursue the savages, yet it seemed impera- 
tive they should make the attempt. Accordingly after one 
day's rest at Springtield they started on the trail. . Heron Jvake 
is between fifteen and twenty miles west of Springfield. By 
looking up and comparing dates it will be ascertained that the 
Indians left their camp at Heron Lake on the morning of the 
twenty-ninth. The soldiers arrived at Springfield on the even- 
ing of the twenty-eighth, resting over the twenty-ninth, and 
started west after the Indians the morning of the thirtifeth. 
Thus it will be seen that the Indians had one day plus the dis- 
tance between Springfield and Heron Lake the start of the 
troops. 

These regulars were but little better prepared for such a 
campaign than were Major Williams' volunteers and were not 
nearly as much in earnest about it. They had two half-breed 
guides, Joe Gaboo and Joseph La Trombone. Gaboo had a 
full-blooded Indian wife. It was suspected at the time, and 
subsequent events seen to confirm the suspicion, that these 
guides were more interested in the escape of the Indians than 
in their capture or punishment. 

The soldiers pressed on at a rapid rate, and at about three 
o'clock in the afternoon they reached the grove where the In- 
dians with their prisoners had camped the preceding night and 
left that morning. This grove they surrounded, expecting to 
find the Indians there and intending to close in upon and cap- 
ture them. In this they were disappointed. The Indians had 
left about nine hours before. The guides upon examining the 
campfires and the trails about the camp declared that they 
were two or three days old, and that the Indians had that 
much the start. If such was the case, it was evident that fur- 
ther pursuit would be useless. Accordingly the expedition was 
abandoned and they turned back to Springfield. 



126 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

The .actual facts were that the Indians kept scouts in the 
rear to cover their retreat, and these scouts saw the troops 
when the}' first made their appearance at their abandoned camp, 
and kept close Avateh of all of their movements. The main 
body of the Indians were hurried forward into ,a ravine or 
creek bottom, where they awaited results. 

When the Indians were first aware that they were being pur- 
sued, the wildest excitement prevailed among them. They 
had just gone into camp when the troops were first discovered. 
The tents were immediately taken doA^ii, the campfires extin- 
guished and the whole camp moved further down the ravine. 
A guard was set over the prisoners with orders to kill them in 
case of an attack. One Indian had climbed a tree, which stood 
on some high ground, where he could watch and report the 
movements of the soldiers. It seems that these events were 
taking place in the Indian camp just at the time that the sol- 
diers were counseling whether they would continue the pursuit 
or turn back. In all probability the prisoners would all have 
been murdered there and then had the pursuit not been aban- 
doned just as it was. 

The details of this flight and pursuit are given at length by 
Mrs. Sharp, and form an interesting chapter, at the close of 
which she says : "Whether the guides were true or false or 
whether or not the soldiers were justified in turning back it 
w.as life to us as captives." 

After the Indians became satisfied that further pursuit was 
not probable, they moved forward with all the haste possible, 
encumbered as they were with their prisoners and their plun- 
der. Mrs. Sharp further says : "No time was given us to rest, 
iimcli less to prepare any food, till some time next day, and 
we did not camp for two days and nights. * * * Thus 
ended our flight from the United States soldiers, and their at- 
tempt to rescue us only made our situation more t-errible." 



REACH THK BIG SIOUX 127 

As before stated, the Indians started westward the next morn- 
ing after their pursuit was abandoned, going by way of the 
great Pipestone quarry, which is located in Pipestone County, 
Minnesota. Here they rested a short time and busied them- 
selves in gathering pipestone and making pipes, after which 
they resumed their journey, arriving at the Big Sioux about 
the last of April or the first of May. Of this event Mrs. Sharp 
writes as follows : 

"After six weeks of incessant marching over the 
trackless prairie and through the deep snow, across creeks, 
sloughs, rivers and lakes, we reached the Big Sioux at or about 
the point where now stands the town of Flandrau. Most of 
the journey had been performed in cold and inclement weather, 
but now spring seemed to have come. The vast amount of snow 
which covered the ground that memorable winter had nearly 
gone by reason of the rapid thawing during the last few weeks, 
causing the river to rise beyond all ordinary bounds 'and 
assume majestic proportions." 

It was in crossing this stream that Mrs. Thatcher was mur- 
dered. ]\[rs. Sharp's account is too long to be reproduced in 
full here, but some extracts will be given. ]\lrs. Thatcher's 
health was more delicate and she had suffered more than the 
other prisoners during their long, tedious march, and during 
a portion of the time she had not been compelled to cal'ry a 
pack as the other prisoners had. During tli© last few days 
she lind partially recovered and was therefore compelled to 
carry her pack as before. It seems that at the point where the 
party reached the river a bridge of driftwood had formed across 
the stream over which .a person with clear head and steady 
step could cross with tolerable safety. 

"On such a bridge we were to cross the now swollen waters. * 
* * As we were aboujt to follow the Indians across one of these 
uncertain bridges where a single misstep might plunge us into 
the dfM']) watxTs, an Indian, not more than sixteen years 
old "" ■^■•' ■" who had .always nianifcstiMl a great degree of 



128 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

hatred and contempt for the whites, approached iis and taking 
the pack from Mrs. Thatcher's shoulders and placing it on his 
own, ordered iis forward. This seeming kindness at once 
aroused our suspicions. * * * When we reached the cen- 
ter of the swollen stream, as we anticipated, this insolent young 
savage pushed Mrs. Thatcher from the bridge into the ice cold 
water, but by what seemed supernatural strength, she breasted 
the dreadful torrent, and making a last struggle for life, reached 
the shore w^hich had just been left, ,and was clinging to the root 
of a tree at the bank. She was here met by some of the other 
Indians who were just coming upon the scene. They com- 
menced throwing clubs at her and with long poles shoved her 
back into the angry stream. As if nerved by dread of such 
a death she made another desperate effort for life, and doubt- 
less would have gained the shore, but here again she was met 
by her meciless tormentors and was beaten off as before. She 
was then carried down by the furious, boiling current of the 
Sioux, while the Indians on either side of the stream w^ere 
running along the banks, whooping and yelling, and throwing 
sticks and stones at her until she reached another bridge. Here 
she was finally shot by one of the Indians in another division 
of the band, who was crossing with another division of the cap- 
tives some distance below." 

Reviewing these events in the light of present conditions and 
surroundings, the strange thing about the whole matter is that 
any one of those four captives bore up for a single week imder 
the extreme suffering and hardships to which they were ex- 
posed. Just think of it! Wet to the waist every day from 
walking through tlie snow and slush, indifferently clothed, 
nearly starved, often going two days without anything to eat, 
compelled to carry a pack, which would test the endurance of 
a strong man. All this they had now endured for over six 
weeks. 

American history furnishes no parallel to their suffering 
and endurance; language fails to describe them; the intellect 
fails to grasp them, — and the end is not yet. True, spring 
had come, and the condition of the unfortunate captives was 
somewhat alleviated. But they still had a long, tedious road to 



DEATH OF MRS. THATCHER 129 

travel, and many dangers and vicissitudes through which to 
pass. 

After crossing the Big Sioux they continued their march 
Avestward into Dakota. In their wanderings they frequently 
met roving bands of Sioux with whom they always seemed to 
be on good terms. It has becMi claimed by the Indians and 
their apologists that Inkpadutah's band were not annuity In- 
dians, but that they were regarded as outlaws, and were not 
fellowshipped by the agency Indians. This certainly could 
not have been true to any great extent. Mrs. Sharp saw noth- 
ing of the kind while she was Avith them. On the contrary, 
she says, "Whenever we met any of the other bands our cap- 
tors would go over the story of their achievements by word 
and gesture and the display of booty, giving a vivid description 
of the affair, reproducing in fullest detail even the groans and 
sighs of the victims. To all this the other Sioux listened not 
only without any signs of disapprobation, but with every indi- 
cation of enjojonent and high appreciation." 

On the sixth of May, when the Indians were camped at a 
small lake some thirty miles west of the Big Sioux, their camp 
was visited by two young Indians from the Yellow Medicine 
Agency, who, upon seeing the prisoners, took a fancy to them, 
and after a considerable bantering bought Mrs. Marble, trad- 
ing guns, blankets, ammunition and such things as they had 
with them. After completing the trade they started imme- 
diately on their return, and after several days weary journey- 
ing arrived at the Yellow Medicine Agency. Through the in- 
strumentality of missionaries, Messrs. Riggs and Williamson 
and Major Flandrau, the Indian Agent, a sum of money 
amounting to $1,000 was raised and paid to the Indians for 
her ransom. 

It is the generally accepted belief that both of the prisoners, 
Mrs. Marble and Miss Gardner, were rescued by friendly In- 



130 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

diaus sent out from the agency for that purpose. But such, 
it seems, was not the case so far ,as Mrs. Marble was concerned. 
The facts connected with ^er release will be better understood 
from the following extract from Major Flandrau's report, ac- 
companied by a statement written out for the two Indians by 
Mr. Riggs. Judge Flandrau says : 

"I was engaged in devising plans for the rescue 
of the captives and the punishment of the Indians 
in connection witb Colonel Alexander of the Tenth Infantry, 
but had found it very difficult to settle upon any course which 
would not endanger the safety of the prisoners. 'We knew 
that any hostile demonstration would be sure to result in the 
destruction of the women, and were without means to fit out 
an expedition for their ransom. While we were deliberating 
on the best course to pursue, a^i accident opened the way 'to 
success. A party of my Indians were hunting on the Big 
Sioux River, and having learned that Inkpadutah's band was 
at Lake Chauptayatonka, about thirty miles west of the river, 
and also knowing of the fact that they held some white women 
prisoners, two young men (brothers) visited the camp and 
after much talk they succeeded in purchasing Mrs. Marble. 
They paid for her all they possessed and brought her into the 
agency and delivered her into the hands of the mis- 
sionaries stationed at that point. She was at once 
turned over to me with a written statement from the two 
Indians who had brought her, which was prepared for them ,at 
their request by Mr. Riggs, who spoke their language fluently. 
I will allow them to tell their own story. It was as follows: 
'Hon. C. E. Flandrau: Father. In our spring hunt, when 
encamped at the north end of Big Wood on the Sioux River, 
we learned from some Indians who came to us, that we were 
not far from Red End's camp. Of our own accord, and con- 
trary to the advice of all about us, we concluded to visit them, 
thinking that possibly Ave might be able to obtain one or more 
of the white women held by them as prisoners. We found 
them encamped at Chauptayatonka Lake, about thirty miles 
west of our own camp. We were met at some distance from 
their lodges by four men armed with revolvers, who demanded 
of us our business. After satisfying them that we were not 
s])ies and had no evil intentions in regard to them we were 



MRS. MARBLE PURCHASED 131 

taken into lukpadutali's Lodge. Tlie night was sjxjnt in re- 
citing their massacre, etc. It was not until the next morning 
that we ventured to ask for one of the women. Much time 
\v.as spent in talking and it was not until the middle of the 
afternoon did we obtain their consent to our proposition. We 
paid for her all we had. We brought her to our mother's tent, 
clothed her as we were able, and fed her bountifully on the 
best we had — duck and corn. iWe brought her to Lac qui 
Parle, and now, father, after having her with us fifteen days, 
we place her in your hands. It was perilous business, for which 
we think we should be liberally rewarded. We claim for our 
services $500 each.' * * * This .communication was signed 
by the Indians and witnessed by the missionary, Mr. Riggs." 

Judge Flandrau adds: ''By the action of these Indians we 
not only got one of the captives but we learned for the first 
time definitely the whereabouts of the marauders and the as- 
surance that the other women were still alive as these Indians 
had seen them in Red End's camp." 

It will be seen from the foregoing extracts that the release 
of Mrs. ]\rarble was not the result of any preconcerted plan 
worked out by the government officers, but was styled by Judge 
Flandrau himself a "lucky accident." 

About four weeks after the release of Mrs. Marble, while 
Inkpadutah's band were roaming over the prairies, they fell in 
with a small party of Yanktons. Their leader, after some 
bantering, purchased both of the prisoners from Inkpadutah. 
His object was simply to make money by selling them to the 
whites, but he didn't seem to be in any particular hnrry to 
realize on his investment. Instead of starting at once for the 
settlements, as the purchasers of INfrs. Marble had done, he 
continued to journey with Inkpadutah's party in their .aimless 
wanderings. One evening, a few days after the purchase, Roar- 
ing Cloud, a son of Inkpadutah, came to tlic tout of the Yank- 
ton and in a fit of rage dragged Mrs. Noble from tlio tcul and 
regardless of tlic protests <»f bor Yankton owikm-, seized a cluli 



132 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

and murdered her on the spot. Of this event Mrs. Sharp writes 
as follows : 

"The next morning- the warriors gathered around the already 
mangled corj)se .and amused themselves by making it a target to 
shoot at. To this show of barbarism I was brought out and com- 
pelled to stand a silent witness. Faint and sick at heart, I at 
length turned away from the dreadful sight without their orders 
to do so, and started off on the day's march expecting they would 
riddle me with their bullets, but why should I escape more 
than others ? But for some unaccountable reason I w,as spared. 
After going a short distance I looked back and they Avere still 
around her, using their knives cutting off her hair and muti- 
lating her body. -^^ * * At last the bloody camp was de- 
serted and the mangled body left lying on the ground un- 
buried. Her hair, in two heavy braids, just as she had ar- 
ranged it, was tied to the end of a stick, perhaps three feet 
long, and during the day as I wearily and sadly toiled on, one 
of the young Indians walked by my^ side and repeatedly slashed 
me in the face with it, thus .adding insult to injury. * * * 

"If Mrs. Noble could only have escaped the vengeance of 
Roaring Cloud a few days longer she doubtless would have 
been set at liberty and restored to civilized society and the 
companionship of her sister and brothers. * * * Could 
she only have known the efforts being made for her rescue and 
how near they .already were to success, she would have had 
courage to endure insults a little longer and hope to bid her 
look forward. At the very moment when she was dragged 
from her tent and brutally murdered, rescuers under the di- 
rection of the United States Commissioner fully prepared for 
her ransom were pressing forward with all the dispatch pos- 
sible." 

Mrs. Marble's .arrival at the settlement was the first intima- 
tion that had been received of the fate of any of the captives 
and created great excitement. A deep interest had been man- 
ifested in the fate of the prisoners from the first and ndw 
that it was definitely known that two of them were still living 
and in captivity there was a general demand that ample meas- 
ures be immediately taken for their rescue. Major Flandrau 
immediately set to work to fit out an expedition for that pur- 



EXPEDITION SENT FOR MISS GARDNER 133 

j>os€. He had no government funds at his command, but he 
and his friends used their own private credit in securing an 
outlit. Volunteers were not wanting and three trusty scouts 
were soon selected. In regard to further oj>erations, he says: 

"The question of outfit then presented itself and I ran my 
credit with the traders for the following articles at the prices 
stated : 

• Wagon $110.00 

4 Horses 600.00 

12 3 Point Blankets (4 blue, 8 white) . . 56.00 

32 Yards of Squaw Cloth 44.00 

37^ Yards Calico 5.37 

20 Ll)s. Tobacco 10 00 

1 Sack of Shot 4.00 

15 Lbs. Powder 25.00 

Corn 4.00 

Flour 10.00 

Coffee 1.50 

Sugar 1.50 

"With this outfit, and instructions to give as much of it as 
was necessary for the women, my expedition started on the 
twenty-third day of May from Yellow Medicine. I at once 
left for Fort Rlidgley to consult Colonel Alexander as to the 
plan of operation for an attack upon the camp of Inkpadutah 
the instant we could get word as to the safety of the white wo- 
men. The Colonel entered into the spirit of the matter with 
zeal. He had four or five companies at the fort and proposed 
to put them into the field, so as to approach Skunk Lake, where 
Inkpadutah had his camp, from several different directions and 
insure his destruction. If an event which was wholly unforeseen 
had not occurred, the well laid plan of Colonel Alexander would 
undoubtedly have succeeded. But unfortunately for the cause 
of justice, about the time Ave began to expect information from 
my expedition, which Avas to be the signal for moying on the 
enemy, an order arrived at the fort commanding the Colonel 
with all his .available force to start immediately and join the 
expedition against the Mormons, Avhich AViis then moving to 
Utah, under the command of General Sidney Johnstou. So 
])eremptory was the command that the steamlx^at that brought 
tlie order carried off the entire garrison of the fort and put 
an end to all hopes of our being able to punish the enemy." 



134 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

So it will be seen that the blame for not adopting more en- 
ergetic measures to secure, capture and punish the Indians 
cannot be laid upon the commandant at Fort Ridgley, nor the 
agent at Yellow Medicine. Whatever induced the War De- 
partment to leave the northwestern frontier in this defenseless 
condition at a time of such imminent danger by withdrawing 
.all the troops for a wild goose chase through Utah after the 
Mormons is something that cannot be satisfactorily explained. 
The fort was regarrisoned the latter part of July. 

A few days after the murder of Mrs. ]N^oble the Indians with 
their remaining captive reached the James River, where now 
is situated the town of Old Ash ton in Spink County, South 
Dakota. Here, on the opposite side of the river, was a power- 
ful Yankton camp of nearly two hundred lodges. These Yank- 
tons had evidently never been in contact with civilization. 
They were .armed with bows and arrows and clubs. Their 
tents and clothing were manufactured entirely from buffalo 
hides, and there was absolutely nothing in their appearance 
to indicate that they had ever had any intercourse with the 
whites. To them the "white squaw" was a source of much 
wonderment and they never tired of commenting on and ex- 
amining her "flaxen hair, blue eyes and light complexion." 

They had l>een in this camp but .a few days, and the novelty 
and excitement of Inkpadutah's coming with a white captive 
had not yet subsided, when on the thirtieth of May three In- 
dians dressed in white men's clothes came into camji. These 
Indians were the ones that had been sent out from the agency 
for the express purpose of securing the release of the remain- 
ing ])risoners. The death of Mrs. T^oble having occurred in 
llie meantime. Miss Gardner was the only one left. Some three 
or four days were spent in parleying and bantering, when an 
arrangement was finally reached and the captive was turned 
over to her new purchasers. 



MISS GARDNER RANSOMED 



135 




INDIAN COUNCIL NEGOTIATING FOR THE SURRENDER OF 
MISS GARDNER. 



Mrs. Sharp s-ays the price paid for lier ransom was two 
horses, twelve blankets, two kegs of powder, twenty pounds of 
tobacco, thirty-two yards of squaw cloth, thirty-seven and a 
half yards of calico, and rihlxm and other small articles with 
which these Indians ;had been provided by INTajor Flandi-au. 
As soon as possible after the completion of the transfer the res- 
cuing party crossed the James River and prepared to start at 
once on their return trip east. 'They had brought a team of 
horses .and a wagon with them, which tlicy had concealed among 
tlio brush and willows on the east side of the river, pending 
negotiations. In all probability had the Yanktons known they 
were there they would have insisted on their Iwing added to 
the purchase price. The party consisted of the three agency 
Indians sent out l>v ^lajor Flandrau and two Yanktons from 
the James River. 

^frs. Sharp's description of her rescue and the return trip 
are intensely interesting and at times highly dramatic. .\ 
few extracts are all that can be given. She says: 



136 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA ' 

"Almost the first move was to cross the James River. I was 
put into a frail little boat made of buffalo skin stripped of hair 
and dressed so as to be impervious to water. The boat was not 
more than five feet long by four wide and incapable of carrying 
more than one person. When I found I was the only occupant I 
concluded that the story of the Indian who told me I was to be 
drowned w^as after all a true one. * * * J -^^^as, however, 
happily disappointed to see my new purchasers divest them- 
selves of their fine clothes and swim across, holding the end of 
a cable made of buffalo hide which had previously been fas- 
tened to the boat. iWith this they drew the boat with me in it 
to the eastern shore. Thus, though I knew it not, I was being 
drawn towards home and friends, and the river was put be- 
tween me .and my cruel foes. * * * Hiding the team and 
wagon was not only a piece of sharp practice but a wise stroke 
of policy, and showed diplomacy. * * * 

"The names of the persons composing this rescue party should 
be put on record and held in remembrance not alone for this 
mission but for other humane deeds done by them. They were 
Mazaintemani * * * now familiarly known among the 
whites as John Other Day, Hotonhowashta or Beautiful Voice, 
and Chetanmaza or Iron Hawk." 

These three Indians were prominent members of the church 
at the mission station at Yellow Medicine. Other D-ay was 
a prominent figure during the Sioux War five years later. 
Many were the times that he risked his own life in warning 
the settlers of impending trouble. His services will be referred 
to again. Chetanmaza. or Iron Hawk visited Mrs. Sharp at 
her home during the summer of 1895 .and was present at the 
dedication of the monument. Of the return trip Mrs. Sharp 
says : 

"The Yankton chief having been placated and I safely towed 
across the river the team was brought out. The Yanktons filled 
the wagon with dried buffalo meat and buffalo robes. I was in- 
stalled driver and the five Indians (three Yellow Medicine and 
two Yanktons) leading the way in single file we took up our 
march. * * * After seven days of incessant traveling we 
came into ,a region thickly peopled with Indians." 




From a'l'hotograph. 



CHETANMAZA AND HIS FRIEND 



138 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Two days later tliey arrived at the home of a half-breed who 
could speak English. ' This was the first she knew of her where- 
abouts or wliat was to become of her. She here learned that 
these Indians had been sent out from the agency on purpose 
to secure her release "and that the long journey with its perils 
and sacrifices had been made for me." She further says : 

'T also learned from this half-breed that Mrs. Marble had 
been there about a month before and had gone on to St. Paul 

* * * After a day and a half spent at the half-breed's 
trading post in which time I had tried to make myself as 
presentable as possible, yve proceeded to- the Yellow Medicine 
Agency and then to the mission station of Dr. Thomas Wil- 
liamson." * * * 

A scare almost amounting to a panic occurred at the agency 
about the time of the arrival of Miss Gardner, but in no way 
connected with her. The trouble was over the delay in paying 
the Indians their annuities and came near being serious, but 
the money for the annuities came just in time to save further 
trouble. Further on Mrs. Sharp says: 

"While this dun cloud of w.ar hung over our heads, 
one of the Yanktons who had accompanied us as an 
escort from the James River brought out a beautiful 
Indian war cap that had been carefully packed away 
in the wagon without my knowledge. I was seated on 
A stool in the center of the room and with great display of 
Indian eloquence it was presented to nic and placed upon my 
head in the name of the great chief Matow.aken. The instruc- 
tions of the chief were that I should be crowned with it on our 
first arrival at the abode of the whites and that it sliould be 
<?xliibited when we came into the presence of the Great Father, 
meaning the Governor of Minnesota. * '" * In the pre- 
sentation speech it was stated that it was given as a token of 
respect for tlie fortitude and bravery I had manifested and it 
was because of tin's that Inki)adutah's Indians did not kill me. 
It was also stated that as long ,as 1 retained t;h(' cap I would 
be under the protection of all of the Dacotahs." 



TRIP TO ST. PAUL 139 

From the agency the party passed down the river to Fort 
Ividgley and thence across tlie conntry to Traverse, which Avas 
at the time the head of navigation on the Minnesota Kiver, 
Avhere they ('nd)arked on a steamer to St. PanL 

Several pagi's (»t" Mrs. Sharp's hnok arc devoted to an aceonnt 
.it'thi' joni'iiey to St. l*aul. llie audience with the gnvernor, the 
achlress to ^Iaz.ainteniani upon surrendering the captive, the 
Governor's reply, and the atklress of Major Fhmdran, niakinu 
it one of the most interesting and attractive chapters in the 
wliole vohiUH'. The amount i)ai<l the Indians was $l,;i()0 or 
$400 each in addition to the .amount j)aid the Yanktons at the 
time of her purchase. The leader of the rescuing party always 
renuiined the firm friend of the whites and during the terrihle 
days following the massaiTe of 1S(;2 exerted himself in every 
i:)OSsil)le way to prevent the outrages and j)rotect the settlers. 




CHAPTER XI. 

GOVERNMENT APATHY NO ATTEMPT TO PUNISH 

THE OUTLAWS ROARING CLOUD VENTURES NEAR 

THE AGENCY IS KILLED BY A PARTY OF SOLDIERS 

AND VOLUNTEERS LITTLE CROW SENT IN SEARCH 

OF THE OUTLAWS CLAIMED TO HAVE KILLED 

THREE AND DEMANDS THEIR ANNUITIES WHICH 
ARE FINALLY PAID THEM. ' 

HE AIPATHY of the government in not .attempting- to 
devise some more effectual means for the detection and 
punishment of this marauding hand of savages was 
much criticized. It was known all summer that the 
headquarters of the hand were at Skunk Lake, in Dakota. 
What was asked was that another fort be established at some 
place, say Sioux Falls, and then tliat troops enough be sent 
to the frontier to not only secure j^rotection, but to make an 
aggressive movement practicable. It will be seen that the moves 
made against these Indians were made by wholly inadequate 
forces. Could a strong column have been sent out simultan- 
eously from Fort Ridgley, Fort Randall and Sioux Falls, the 
band could have been captured or destroyed. The feeble at- 
tempts that were made by the Indian agent and the commander 
of the fort were not sanctioned by the Federal .authority. 

Judge Flandrau and the commandant at the fort did every- 
rliing they could do with the means at their command, but the 
jWar Department seemed to be perfectly indifferent and the 
only measure proposed by them to accomplish the object was 
to withhold the annuities from the agency Indians until the out- 
laws were surrendered. Of course, the agency Indians regarded 
this as a great wrong. How much it may have had to do with 



DEATH OF ROARING CLOUD 141 

intensifying the hostile feeling exis^ting at tlie time we don't 
know ; also whether it may be reckoned as one of the factors 
in precipitating the Minnesota outbreak in 1862, we don't 
know, but, view it as we may, the stubbornness and stupidity 
of tlie War Department .at this time are wholly incomprehensi- 
ble. 

Some time in July word was received by Major Flaiidrau 
that a portion of Inkpadutah's band were in camp on the Yel- 
low Medicine not far from the agency. Upon holding a con- 
sultation witli tlie commandant of the fort it w.as decided that 
an effort must be made to capture or destroy them if possible. 
Accordingly Lieut-enant Murray, with a small force of alx)ut 
twenty regulars and as many or more volunteers, was detailed 
for that service. John Other Day, the same Indian who led 
the rescuing party that rescued Mrs. Sharp from the Indians, 
was sent forward as ,a scout to reconnoiter and ascertain the 
facts. This force left Fort Ridgley about dark. Tliey moved 
forward as fast as possible, and when a few miles 
from the Upper Agency w^ei-e met by their guide, 
and were informed by him that the report was true that 
a part of Inkpadutah's band were in camp not a great distance 
from the agency. H]ow many, he did not know. They con- 
sisted of six tepees and were out at one side by themselves about 
five mih^s up the river. The party again moved forward, pi- 
loted by their Indian guide, and roaoliod tlic river wliere they 
intended to cross just after daylight. The hostile camp was 
in full view on the high ground on the opposite side of the 
river. As the soldiers were nearing the spot .an Indian holding 
a squaAV by the hand sprang from one of the tepees and started 
rapidly for the river. Other Day, the guide, recognized liim 
as Roaring Cloud, the son of Inkpadutali. The soldiers oj>ened 
fire on him at long range with tlieir rifl<^s, but witli what effect 
they did not know, .as the Indian did not halt until he reached 
cover. From there he returned the fire of the soldiers thre-e or 



142 DICKIiNSON COUNTY IOWA 

four times. Every time he shot the soldiers would fire a return 
volley at the spot from which the smoke arose and he was soon 
riddled with bullets, and as the firing ceased a soldier rushed 
forward and finished the work with a thrust of his bayonet. 
It will be remoml)ered that this was the same Indian that 
murdered Mrs. Xol)k' after she had been purchased by the 
Yankton. The squaw was taken prisoner. The other Indians 
escaped. 

It seems. that the wife of lioaring C^oud was one of tho 
agency Indians, and this .accounts for the risks he ran in com- 
ing so near to the agency at a time when he was sure to be 
killed if recognized. The taking this squaw prisoner came very 
near causing serious trouble with the agency Indians. In 
going down to the agency, the expedition passed through a 
camp of several tliousand Indians. These Indians were nom- 
inally friendly to the whites but the sight of <>n(^ of their tribe 
being held ,a ])risoner aroused their indignation to an alarm- 
ing degree. The pur})o,se of the ti'oops in making tliis scjuaw 
a prisoner was to get such information as they could regarding 
the Indian that was killed, also the balance of the party. The 
troops realized that they had got tbemselves into tremble. The 
excitement was intens(\ The angry warriors crowded around 
them on evci'y side, making all kinds of hostile demonstra- 
tions. A sliot from cithei' side Avonld lia\'<' iloubth'ss ]ii'ecipi- 
tat('(l a collision, and in all |)i'ol)abi]ity, the force Avonld have 
l)een anniliilated on the spot. Fortunately no collision occnr- 
I'ed and they reached the agency in safety. Here they took 
possession of a log house and awaited results, determined in 
case of an attack to defend themselves th<' best th(y were able. 
Aft<'r a few days anxious suspense and slee])less anxiety they 
wei-e i'elie\<'d from their perilous situation l)v the arrival of 
Major Sherman with a force of reguhu's and a battery of ar- 
liUerv, haviuii' been ordered there from Fort Snelling to attend 



APATHY ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT 143 

the payment of the annuities. Thns vStrenc'thened the troops 
\v<>re ])o\vert"nl enoui>h to det'end themselves in ease of an attaek. 
But with the release of the prisoner the affair blew over and 
matters quieted down to their normal condition. 

The only other .attem})t made by the government to ca])ture 
the renegade chief was later in the season. The garrison at 
Fort Ridglev had been materially strengthened and as the time 
approacjied when the annuities were to be paid the Indians 
were informed that they would be required by the government 
to deliver Inkpadutah and his band to the authorities as a 
condition on which they would receive their annuities. To 
this the Indians strenuously objected. They regarded it as 
a great wrong, ])unishing the innocent for the crimes of the 
guilty. However, they succeeded in organizing .a force made 
up of squads from the different bands, numbering in the neigh- 
borhood of a hundred warriors. This force, under the leader- 
ship of Little Crow, made a campaign into the Indian country 
and were gone about two weeks. Upon their return they 
claimed that tlicy had kill('(l tiirec of his band, wounded one 
and taken one squaw and one papoose prisoner. The Indians 
now claimed that tliey had done all that they could do and all 
that they ought to b(^ required to do to entitle them to their 
annuities. 

The agents of t\w government on the other liand insisted 
that it was the duty of annuity Indians to pursue and either 
capture or exterminate the outlaws. The time for paying the 
annuities liad now arrived and matters began to look serious. 
After discussing the question in all its bearings the government 
authorities d<'('ide(l that it would l)e l)etter to yield the point 
.and pay the annuities than to run the risk of preeiiutating hos- 
tilities with the eiitir<' Sioux nation by withholding them 
longer. Fiiis o|)iiiion was largely ludd by tlie settlers along 
the border and by I he population of Minnesota generally. Ac- 



144 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

cordingly, on the eighteenth of August, Major Cullen sent 
the following dispatch to the Department : 

"If the Department concur, I am of the opinion that the 
Sioux of the Mississi})pi have done all in their power to punish 
or surrender Inkpadutah's band, and their annuities may with 
propriety be paid them. * * " The special agent aw.aits 
answer to this dispatch at Dunleith and for instructions in 
the premises." 

The annuities were accordingly paid and the government 
made no further effort to capture or punish this little band of 
marauders, who had wrought such destruction and spread such 
consternation along the entire northwestern frontier. N^othing 
definite is known of the remainder of Inkpadutah's band sub- 
sequent to this time, but it is supposed that they scattered, the 
different members uniting with other bands, thus destroying 
their identity and making their pursuit or capture as a dis- 
tinct band impossible. 

So far as can be ascertained there is absolutely no tradition 
claiming to give the final fate of Inkpadutah. Several times 
during the summer of 1857 rumors were circulated Celling of 
his death, and these were as often denied. Had he remained 
among the Indians along the frontier, he must at some time 
have l)een seen and recognized by some of the traders, trappers, 
half-breeds or friendly Indians of that region, but so far as 
known, nothing of the kind ever occurred. He dropped out of 
sight completely, and there is no authentic account of his ever 
having been seen or heard of since. 

Mrs. Sharp, in speaking of his family, says : "His family 
consisted of himself .and squaw, four sons and one daughter." 

•As has been related, the eldest son. Roaring Cloud, the mur- 
derer of Mrs. Noble, was killed some time in July by a party 
of soldiers and volunteers near the Yellow Medicine Agency. 
There is a theory, and it is a ])lausible one, enitertaiiu'd by 



WHAT BECAME OF INKPADUTAIl's HAND 145 

many that the three sons hovered around the frontier for some 
years; that they were leaders in many of the petty difhculties 
along the border, and that they were active in inciting t»he 
annuity Indians to deeds of violence and insulxtrtlinatioii. 
When the outbreak at the agency came, in August, 1862, they 
were among the foremost in their deeds of violence and blood- 
shed, and later that they participated in the many sanguinary 
conflicts on the upper Missouri, and the great western plains, 
and that they were known to have been present at and partici- 
pators in the Custer Massacre on the Little Big Hbrn in 1876. 
A little book, entitled "Twenty Years on the Trap Line," 
by Joseph Henry Taylor, insists there is abundant proof of this 
fact. The author claims to have been a member of Captain 
White's company of the Northern Border Brigade, stationed 
at Correctionville, and other points along the frontier, and 
that after receiving his discharge he spent the next twenty 
years trapping on the Missouri River and its tributaries. In 
his reminiscences he mentions several instances of coming into 
close proximity with these Indians and had several narrow 
escapes from them. "Mill Creek," in Cherokee County, seems 
to have been one of his favorite trapping grounds. In writ- 
ing of his experiences there, he says : 

"As the rapidly changing season commenced to spot the furs, 
I made ready to pull up traps and move down to the settle- 
ments. On the morning of my final departure I noticed a man 
passing along the edge of the bluffs without seeming to see 
the camp. With gun in hand, and Avith a brace of pistols in 
my Svar' belt, I intercepted him with a 'Hello !' On approach- 
ing, I discovered him to be a half-breed, and seenufl to be 
trailing something. 'Did you see anybody pass here?' he said in 
good English. 'No,' I answered. 'You were in luck they didn't 
see you.' 'Why so ?' 'Because Inkpadutah's boys don't often let 
a chance slip.' 'Inkpadutah's boys,' I ro2>eated mechanically. 
'Yes, Inkpadutah's sons. Inkpadutah's sons — I well re- 
member the cold chill that crept over my nerves at 



Ii6 DICKINSON COUNTY IOWA 

the half-breed's mention of the dreaded name. As soon 
as he had disapjK^ared down the winding valley I crit- 
ically examined the trail he was following and found 
the moccasin tracks of six different Indians all pointing down 
the valley. After having tak^n up the traps, I moved up on 
the high divide and took a bee line» for Correctionville. * * 
* Striking the valley of the Little Sioux at least* once a year 
on a hostile raid seemed to be a fanatical observance of Ink- 
padutah's band that they could not .abandon. Whether fishing 
for pickerel around the shores of Lake Winnipeg, or hunt- 
ing anteloj>e on the plains of the upper James River, or buf- 
falo in the Judith Basin or along the Muscleshell River, time 
and opportunity were found to start out hundreds of miles on 
a dreary foot journey to count a 'coup'' on their aggressive con- 
(pierors. The battle on the Little Big Horn is still rated the most 
important engagement between the whites and Indians since that 
da}' on the banks of the turgid Tippecanoe, when the 
sycamore forests hid the broken columns of Tecumseh 
and the prophet from Harrison's victorious army. Var- 
ious writers have ascribed Custer's death as the cul- 
minating episode in this latter day fight and to heighten 
the color of the picture have laid his death to the per- 
sonal prowess of Rain in the Face or on the field altar of 
Chief Priest Sitting Bull. It has long since been proven 
that Rain in the Face was not on the field of battle tliat day, 
l)ut was miles .away in charge of the pony herd. About Sit- 
ting Bull's liand in the aft'air, lie has expressed himself again 
and again by saying in about these words to the charge, 'They 
tell you I murdered Custer. It is a lie, I am not a w.ar chief. 
I was not in the battle that day. His eyes were blinded that 
he could not sec. He was a fool and rode to his death. He 
made the fight, not I. Whoever tells you I killed Custer is 
a liar.' * * * Any intelligent Yankton, Santee, Uncpapa 
Blackfoot or other Sioux, who participated in the fight against 
Custer's battalions on that twenty-fifth day of June, 1876, will 
tell you it was difficult to tell just who killed Custer. They 
l)elieved he was tlie last to fall in the group where he was found. 
That the last leaden messengers of swift death hurled amongst 
this same grouj) of falling and dying soldiers were belched fortli 
from Winchesters held in the hands of Inkpadutah's sons." 



CIIAPTKK XTI. 




EFFECT OF THE MAS^SAORE ELSEWJIKKK ATTIfAC- 

TIOX OF EMIGR.\^'TS THE HOWE AXD WHEELOCK 

PAKTY J. S. PRESCOTT AXD HIS PARTY ^^(lEO. 

E. SPENCER AMD THE NEWTON PARTY. 

II 1^ .MASSACRE at S})irit Lake crcatcMl i>Toat oxciteiiioiit 
and consternation along the entire frontier. Xearly 
tlu^ whole line of frontier settlements were abandoned 
and in some instances the excitement and alarm ex- 
rcMided far into the interior. Indeed, in many cases where 
there was no possibility of danger the alarm was wildest. ]\rili- 
tarv companies were formed, home o'nards were oro;anized and 
otlier measnres taken for defense hnndreds of miles from where 
any Indians had been seen for years. The alarm spread to 
adjoining states. The wildest acconnts of the number .and 
force of the savages was given currency and credence. Had 
all of the Indians of the Northwest been united in one band 
tlu'v wonid not have foi'ined a force so formidable as was snji- 
posed to exist at that time along t^hc w<'st(n-n border of I(»\va 
and Minnesota. Doubtless there are at this time many who 
were then residing in the central portion of this state, and 
some even in some parts of Wisconsin, who remember the wild 
excitcniciit and the niH'ilIcss and nni'('asonal)h' ahirni following 
these events as ahove related. 

One of the resnlts of the Spirit Lake Massacre and the ex- 
citement following it was to attract the att<'ntion of settlers, 
emigrants and adventurers in that direction. The party from 
Jasi^er C'onnty, to which allusion has form<'rly been ni.ade, 
consisting of O. ('. Howe, R. I ". Wlicelock and B. F. Parmen- 



148 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

ter still persisted in their determination of making a perma- 
nent settlement at the lakes. It will be remembered that this 
was the party that explored the lake region the fall l)efore and 
passed Inkpadntah's camp near Loon Lake. They Avere also 
the first to discover and give an intelligent account of the mas- 
sacre and it was on the strength of their representations that 
the relief force under Major Williams was raised. They re- 
turned to Fort Dodge with Major Williams' command, after 
which ^Ir. Howe went on to ]Srewton, while Parmenter iind 
Wheelock remained in Fort Dodge to jirocnre a new lot of suiv 
plies and await his return. 

Just previous to this time a party, consisting of J. S. Pres- 
cott, W. B. Brown and a man whom they employed as guide 
by the name of Overacker, started on an exploring trip to the 
lakes, passing up the Des Moines on the west side, while M.ajor 
Williams' command on their return trip were coming down 
on the east side and- thus avoiding them. Prescott and Brown 
reached the lakes about the fifteenth of April, and after spend- 
ing a few days in exploring the country they returned again 
to Fort Dodge, where they purchased supplies .and made other 
necessary preparations for their return to the lakes for perma- 
nent settlement. 

Mr. Howe upon his arrival at Newton succeeded in raising 
a party to accompany him on his return trip to the lakes. This 
party consisted of Hon. George E. Spencer, since United States 
Senator from Alabama; his brother, Gustave Spencer, 
M. A. Blanchard, S. >W. Foreman, Thomas Arthur, 
Doctor Hunter and Samuel Thornton, all of Newton, 
J.asper County. Mr. Howe was detained at home by 
sickness in his family and coidd not accompany the 
l)al.ance of the party at the time. They came on to Fort Dodge, 
where they found Wheelock and Parmenter, who were waiting 
for them. There were some others who had decided upon 



SCHEMES OF THE FIRST SETTLERS 149 

making a trip to the lakes, some from a desire for adventure 
and others for the purpose of settlement. 

Perhaps a short notice of some of the more prominent char- 
acters that took part in making the first settlement of tli© 
county, subsequent to the massacre, would not be wholly devoid 
of interest. J. S. Prescott, one of the most active of the early 
settlers here, was one of the original projectors and founders 
of the college at Appleton, Wisconsin. He had also been par- 
tially successful in starting an institution at Point Bluff, Wis- 
consin. He, having heard of the romantic beauty of the lake 
region, made his first trip to this locality with the idea of es- 
tablishing here some time in the future an institution of learning 
similar in its provisions to that at Appleton. Visionary, as 
such a scheme must seem at this tim<^ in the liglit of subse- 
quent events, it was not at that time regarded as an impossi- 
ble undertaking. 

For this j)roject he had associated with him several gentle- 
men in Ohio and iWisconsin who had advanced him consider- 
able sums of money for that purpose. Prescott was a man of 
great energy and ability, a college graduate and a fine scholar, 
but he was .a poor judge of human nature. He lacked discre- 
tion, was impatient, impetuous and excitable, and while he 
was very enthusiastic in everything he undertook, he was, at 
the same time, visionary and often unpraetieal and ini])racti- 
cable. 

He was educated by his parents for a physician, but dislik- 
ing the profession w^ent into the practice of law in Ohio, in 
which he was very successful. After following tliat for a while 
he joined the Methodist Church and eomnieneed preaoliing. 
As a speaker lie possessed extraordinary ability and ])o\ver. 
It is no disparagement to the ministers who have represented 
the different denominations here since that time to say that 
his pulpit oratory has seldom if ever Immmi e<|ualed l>v any 



150 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

other man in northwestern Iowa. His sermons were of that 
raix3 character wliich church members and men of the workl 
alike regard as moral and intellectual tre,ats. At the same time, 
his visionary and impractical ideas rendered liis selection for 
the position, to which he was assigned and for the work laid 
out for him to do, a most unfortunate one. As might be ex,- 
pected his scheme was a failure. 

Prominent among the others who assisted in making the 
first settlement subsequent to the massacre were O. C Hiowe, 
B. F. Parmenter, R. U. Wheelock, W. B. Brown, C. F. Hill, 
R. A, Smith and Henry Backman. Messrs. Howe and Par- 
menter were attorneys, formerly from Erie Ct»unty, Xew York, 
hut had been stopping for a short time at Xewton, in this 
state. Their object in coming here at that time was to select 
a location f(U' a town site, secure the location of the county 
seat, and secure claims on the adjoining land for themselves. 
Their scheme was a feasible one, and had times remained .as they 
had been for a few years previous, would doubtless have been 
successful. They succeeded in securing the coiuity seat all 
right but after the financial crash of 1857 values became so 
unsettled that the whole scheme was worthless. Mr. Howe 
was chosen district attorney at the general election in the fall 
of 1858 for the Fourth Judicial District, which then com- 
prised nearly one-fourth of the state. This ofiice he held four 
years after which he enlisted -in the jSTinth Iowa Cavalry and 
was promoted to the rank of captain, which position he held 
at the close of the war. 

One of the most unique .and remarkable characters that came 
into prominence in the settlement of northwestern Iowa was 
George E. Spencer, for whom the town of Spencer, Clay 
County, was named. It was a part of the original arrangement 
that he should be associated with Messrs. Howe, 'Wheeloek 
and Parmenter in the town of Spirit Lake, while in his oper- 



PROMINENT CHARACTERS l.')! 

atioiis in (lay County he w.as associated with other j»arties. 
For two or three years lio divided his time between the two 
counties. In one of his trips to Sioux City he succeeded in 
trading' for a tract of hind some foui* or Ww niik's soutlieast 
of the present town of 8}H'ncer. This Iw lia<l survi'vcd and 
had an elaborate plat made, naming the town after himself. 

He succeeded in getting commission<'rs a])poi.nted and h.av- 
ing the county seat loc'at<'d there, while the county records 
were kept at Peterson. He had a postoftice established there 
which was also kept at Peterson. Indeed, the two postofiices, 
Petoi^son and Spenc<'r, w(n'e for a time kept in the same house. 
All of this when there was not a house within fifteen miles of 
Spencer, Then he issued circulars and commenced selling 
lots, representing tliat they li.tul an eighty thousand dollar 
courthouse, a fine public schoolhouse, stores, hotels, mills 
and all of the material advantages of a prosperous western 
towni. This was j)robably the most conspicuous instance of 
\\(U'king a pa}>er town that ever occurred in nortlnvestcrn Iowa. 

Spencer was chosen Chief Clerk of the Senate for the Kighth 
General Assembly, which position he filled with ability. But 
inasmuch as his operations were carried on far more extensively 
in (^lay County than in Dickinson it is hardly profitalde to fol- 
low his career farther. After two or three years he abandoned 
his schemes in Dickinson County and his interests fell into other 
hands. 

The balance of the party whose names have Ixx'n given were 
younger nu^i. most of them well educated and just starting out 
in tile world, and were rea<ly to engage in anything that might 
atl^'oi-d a (diance for speculation or a spice of adventure or ex- 
citement. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE THKEE PARTIES THE TRIP TO THE LAKES 

TAKING CLAIMS THE CLAIMS OF THE VICTIMS 

OF THE MASSACRE A WRONG IMPRESSION COR- 
RECTED GRANGER AND THE RED WING PARTY 

PRESCOTt's VISIONARY SCHEME THE SPIRIT 

LAKE TOWN SITE LOCATED THE OLD FORT THE 

FIRST RELIGIOUS MEETING MODE OF LIVING. 




T MAY BE WELL to remember at this time that during 
the winter of 1856 and 1857 Congress passed the Minn- 
esota Railroad Bill or an act granting subsidies of land 
to all of the then projected railroads in Minnesota. 
Prominent among these was the St. Paul and Sioux City, or, 
as it was then called, the Minnesota Valley R)ailroad, which 
provided for the building of a railroad up the Minnesota Valley 
to the south line of the state in the direction of the mouth of 
the Big Sioux River. A direct line from the south bend of 
the Minnesota River to the mouth of the Big Sioux would run 
a little to the east and south of the center of our lakes. The 
idea that that road would be located and built as it was, over 
thirty miles west of here, was not thought of at that time. 

It will be well to remember here also that this was during 
the fast times preceding the crash of 1857. During the preced- 
ing five years railroads had been built throughout the West at 
a rate and upon a scale unprecedented in the history of the 
world. The states of Illinois and Wisconsin were virtu.ally 
cohered with a net-work of railroads, all of them constructed 
within the brief period of six years. If Illinois could be 
covered with a net-work of railroads in six years, why not 



START FOR THE LAKES 153 

lowH ^ As vet the only road built in Iowa was ironi Daven- 
port to Iowa City, with a branch to JMuscatine. 

Innumerable towns had sprung up in every locality on these 
new roads and many men had made rc^sju'ctable fortnnes in 
selling town lots, some of them in towns where improver- 
ments were actually being made, and many in towns that had 
no existence except on paper. Iowa lands were ludd at figures 
that would have delighted the real estate owners of twenty 
years later. 

Taking the past as a criterion, however, men were not at tKat 
time to be considered as extravagant or unreasonable, who 
expected that the system of railroads for Iowa and Minnesota 
would have been completed in the next five years as those of 
Illinois and Wisconsin had been within the preceding five years. 

Taking into consideration the natural advantages .and 
the miequaled beauty of the lake region, and, as was 
then supposed, the almost positive certainty that they 
vvonld soon have railroad eonimnnieation with the rest of 
the world, it is not strange that a ditferent class of men were 
attracted here than the representative pioneers who had sul>- 
dued the older portions of the country. People who leav(> the 
older states Avitli the last magazine in their pockets and the 
last daily paper in their hands are very much the same jwo- 
ple after landing in Iow.a or ]\finnesota that tiny were before 
leaving New York or Xew England. The term "The (Wild 
and Wooly West,'' with its peculiar significance, never was 
applicable to the pioneers of northwestern Icnva and more 
])artienlai'ly to the tirst settlers of Dickinson ( "ounty. 

The several parties of wliieh mention has her<'tot"ore been 
made, completed their .arrangements at Fort Dodge and 
started for the lakes again on Wednesday, the .'loth (hiy of 
April, 1857. The different jiarties wer<' made nj) as follows: 
First, l")octor J. S. Prescott, W. B. Brown, Charles F. Hill, 



154 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Moses Miller, Lawrence Furber and George Brockway ; second, 
the l^ewton party, consisting of the Spencers and others whose 
names have been heretofore given ; third, .a party consisting 
of B. F. Parmenter, R. U. Wheelock, iWilliam Lamont, Morris 
Markham, Alexander Irving, Lewis Hart and R. A. Smith. 

These parties were mostly independent of each other bnt 
proposed keeping together as much as possible for the purposes 
of company and protection. It would require too much space 
to give the details .and incidents of travel along the road. Most 
persons can imagine what a trip of that kind would be in times 
of high w.ater across an unsettled country without bridges, 
and without so much as a foot-path for a guide. Add to this 
the ever-present danger that roving bands of Indians were hov- 
ering .along the border liable at any time to put in an appear- 
ance when least expected. From this combination of circum- 
stances it will be readily seen that it was no May day picnic 
these hardy adventurers were planning for themselves. 

After leaving Fort Dodge, which they did on the thirtieth 
of April, they followed up on the west side of the Des Moines 
River to a point about ten miles below where Emmetsburg 
now stands. At this point the Newton party parted company 
with the others and struck across the prairie to Clay County 
for the purpose of examining the land there and making 
arrangements for carrying out tlie sclieme they had in contom- 
j)lation relative to laying out the town of Spencer. 

The main body followed up the river ,a short distance fartlier 
and then struck across to Lost Island where they camjxM] on 
tlie niglit of the sixtli of May on the north east shore of Lost 
Island Lake. They arrived at Okolxvji on the eighth, about 
noon. The Newton ])arty wliich liad been ])rospecting about 
Spencer and Gillett's Grove, arrived the same evening, the 
entiri? party going into camp at tlie Gardner place. 



THE CLAIMS OF THE FIRST SETTLERS 155 

Naturiillv the first business to Ije disposed of after arriviuii' 
there was the taking- of claims and adjusting their boundaries. 
One word in reference to the chiinis of those wlio had setth'^d 
here previous to the massacre is in ])lace now. It will be re- 
m<>nd)ere(l that the laiul was uusurveycd and all that any one 
could tlo was to "squat" on a ])iece of land and defend ]»os- 
session of it under the laws of the state. Pleasures were taken 
as far as .possible to settle with the heirs of those ludding 
bona fide claims, and in every instance they were paid a valu- 
able consideration therefor. There was no instance of any 
person settling u])on any l)ona tide claim that had lu'cn ini- 
))roved ])i'evi()UH to the massacn^ without an ecjuitable settle- 
ment having been m.ad<' with those entitled to receive it. 

The impression has gone abroad and is ])retty generally be- 
lieved that Doetor Preseott took ])ossessioii of rlu' (Jardner 
place without making any settlement therefcu". This is a mis- 
take. It will be reuKMnbered that Eliza (Jardner was at 
S])ringfield at the time of the m,assacre, and, that in company 
with the other refugees there, went down to Fort Dodge with 
the return to that ]dacc of Major Williams' command, and 
was in Fort Dodge when Doctor Preseott came ])ack from his 
tii'st trip to the lakes. William Wilson, who had spent a ])or- 
tion of the winter at the lakes and Avho .afterwards married 
Miss Eliza Gardner, was with the burial party acting as guide. 
Tt was through him and Thatcher that the victims of the mas- 
sacre were identified. The burial party, which was the last 
of Major Williams' command to report at Fort Dodge, arrived 
a few days l>efore Preseott and his ])arty. 

Wilson and Eliza Gardner were man'ie(l the (\;\y following 
tlxdr arrival in Fort Dodge. Tunned iat(dy upon Prescott's 
return, they sought him out ami ])i-o])ose(l s(dling ont tlicir 
claims to him, as they had no intention of returning to the 
lakes. The land being as yet unsurveyed, the boun- 



156 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

daries were indefinite. Gardner's claim was along the slu>rc 
of West Okoboji Lake, to the sonth and west of the Gardner 
cabin. 'Next came his son-in-law, liarvev Lnce, whose claim 
adjoined Gardner's on the east. Luce had rolled np the body 
of a log honse but had not finished it. East of that was Wil- 
son's claim, which embraced the site of Arnold Park and the 
land east of it. These were the claims that Wilson and his 
wife proposed to sell to Prescott. They made a pro])ositi<)n 
to him which he accepted, paying them down in gold the 
amount of eleven hundred ($1,100) dollars. In the arrange- 
ment they were to settle with Abbie (Mrs. Shar]i) if she ever 
returned. She was then a prisoner with the Indians. When 
she was there the following season, he made another settlement 
with her, though not so liberal a one as he had formerly made 
with the Wilsons, upon her representation that she had received 
'no i)art of the money paid to Wilson and his wife for the claim. 

Some of Joel Howe's heirs came as far as Fort Dodge <»n 
their w.ay to the lakes to look up Mr. Bowe's matters, bnt 
upon meeting Prescott proposed to sell to him. He accepted 
their terms, ])aying them down a good round sum. ]Ie also 
purchased Thatcher's chiim of him, paying liU'rally for it. 
In every instance the ])arties expressed themselves as well 
pleased with the amounts they received and with the manner 
in which they were treated. 

So far as the Harriott claim is concerned, Harriott lunl 
\niu\o no improvement whatever. He had not resided on tlie 
claim at all, neither had he done any of the acts which were 
even then considered necessary to give validity to a claim on the 
public land. He sinijdy expressed his intention of doing so 
at sonic fntnrc ])erio(l, yet his claim \v,;is resi)ect(Hl for a y<'ar. 
His father was here tlu' snmmer following the massacre, bnt 
nnidc no attem])f to cithci- secure or dispose of it, and it lay 
vacant nntil the following year. The Granger place w.as also 



THE GRANGER PARTY 157 

unoccupied' for about a year. The impressiou that the early 
settlers took possession of the homes of the victims of the mas- 
sacre, without compensation to those rightfully •entitled to re- 
ceive it, is an crroiicons one, and it is only justice to them 
that it 1h> corrected. So far as Pr<'Scott's operations were con- 
cerned, his wrong consisted not in wrongfully getting posses- 
sion of the claims, but in attempting to hold four or five when 
the law allowed him to defend his possession to hut one. 

^lention has heretofore been made of a party from IUmI 
Wing, ]\[innesota, consisting of the Granger brothers, Harriott 
and Snyder, who occupied a cabin on a point a little northeast 
of the Okoboji bridge. All of this party were killed by the 
[ndians excepting William (Jranger, or ''Bill" Granger, as 
h(^ was for years known along the border. For sonic time pre- 
vious to the massacre it w.as more than intimated that a l)aiid 
of horse thieves and counterfeiters had their headquarters 
somewhere in the northwest and the Grangers were to some 
extent connected with it. It was reported that counterfeit 
money had Ikh'u put into circulation at diffen'ut times which 
had been traced back to them and other little irregularities 
and crookednesses were attributed to them. (Whatever proof 
there ever was in existence to substantiate these charges is not 
now known, but it is tru<' that such charges were outspoken 
among the settlers all along the Des Moines River. 

Grange)' made u[) a small ])arty at licd Wing and start(>tl 
from there about the same time that the othei-s started from 
Fort Dodge, and arrived at the lakes about two days later. 
He assumed to represent the heirs of the different parties Avho 
had been kilh'd by the Fiidians, and with great flourish and 
bravado he forbade the settling upon or occui)ying any jv.ircel 
or tract of land that had l)een settled uj)on previous to the 
massacre, and even went so far as to make his boast (d the 
numl>er of blankets he had i)ut under tin' sod, aiul to intimate 



158 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

tli.at unless those who were there left at once, they would be 
disposed of in the same summary manner. But he soon found 
out that he had misjudged his men, and that while they made 
no exhibitions of bravado or braggadocio, they were not at all 
inclined to pay any attention to his absurd pretensions. 

It will be noticed tKat Granger's claim, which is now known 
as Smith's Point, and Harriott's, which is now known as 
Dixon's Beach, were respected and were not disturbed until a 
year after this time, which was after Granger had abandoned 
all attempts to maintain his footing there. 

It Kas been before stated that Prescott's project was the es- 
tablishment of an institution of learning. His plan was to 
secure as desirable a location as possible, lay out a town, and 
then secure the most desirable tracts of land adjoining and 
hold them .as a permanent endowment for the institution. 
For that purpose he selected as a site for his town the tract 
upon the east side of East Okoboji Lake, now known as Tus- 
culum Grove. As before stated, he bought the claim of Mr. 
Thatcher and settled with the heirs of Mr. Howe in order that 
there might be no conflicting claims. He then proceeded to 
lay out his town, which he named Tusculum, after the coun- 
try residence of the great Roman orator. That he had under- 
taken more than he could accomplish soon became evident, 
l)nt the failure of his scheme will l>e noted further on. 

The plan of Howe, Wheelock and Parmenter was to hit 
upon some locality most likely to become the county seat and 
center of business for the county, .and lay out a town which 
was to be owned in common, and then take the land adjoining 
as their individual claims. For this purpose they made the 
selection of the site where the town of Spirit Lake now 
stands, and took their claims adjoining. The parties known 
as the original proprietors of Spirit Lake City, as it was tlu'n 
called, were O. C. Howe, B. F. Parmenter, R. U. Wheelock 



VARIOUS PROJECTS 159 

and George E. Spoiieer. Dr. J. S. Prescott afterwards bought 
an undivided one-fifth interest in it, giving one thousand dol- 
hirs for it. The county seat was located there in 1858, James 
Ilickey of Palo Alto County, C. C. Smeltzer of Clay County 
•and S. W. Foreman of O'Brien County acting as commission- 
ers. It is understocxi that the proceedings of that commission 
are lost and that no minutes of their action have been pre- 
served. 

The otlicrs who came in at the same time scattered around 
upon their claims in different localities about the groves and 
lakes. It is impossible here to give anything like a connected 
account of all of the different transactions that transpired at 
the time, but simply to give a passing notice of the 
most important incidents and those that liad the most 
to do in shaping the course of future events. Other 
persons came in at different times during the spring and sum- 
mer of 1857. Henry Barkman with a small party from T^ew- 
ton came in some time in June. A party from Sparta, Wis- 
consin, consisting of Rosalvo Kingman, iWilliam Carsley, J. 
D. Hawkins and G. W. Kogers, put in an appearance on the 
fourth of July. Jareb Palmer was another of the settlers of 
that summer. He had previously determined to settle on 
the Des Moines, but for some reason changed his mind. He 
was at the house of Mr. Thomas at tlio time of the attack on 
Springfield, and rendered valuable assistance in the defense 
of that plac.:'. He was with the refugees when they started 
down the river, but on meeting M.ajor Williams' forces joined 
them for the balance of the expedition. From this time on 
different parties continued to arrive, most of whom wer(» on 
exploring expeditions, with occasionally one for settlement, 
but they cannot be noticed in detail. 

The fact of the land being unsurveyed and the bouiularies 
of the different claims being but imperfectly defined, tliere 



160 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

was at differeiit times considerable trouble in regard to con- 
flicting claims. It has been the lot of all new countries to have 
more or less claim quarrels, and while those of this locality 
were not as sanguinary as many that have transpired in other 
places, it was by no means free from them, but they were not 
carried to the exten,t this season that they were afterwards. 
They were confined mostly to Granger's attempt to enforce re- 
spect for his bogus pretensions that he was acting as agent 
or representative of the heirs of the victims of the massacre. 
Finding his authority disregarded and his pretensions un- 
heeded, he, as a Last resort, endeavored to frighten the inhabi- 
tants away by reporting that the Indians were about to make 
another raid on the settlement. Failing in this, he and his 
party gathered up their effects and left. While the settlers 
were somewhat apprehensive of danger from the Indians and 
M'ere on the alert as much as possible to guard against sur- 
prise, yet they were too much in earnest to be frightened away 
without good cause. Reports of Indians hovering along the 
border were occasionally put into circulation, but there were no 
depredations or outbreaks during the summer. 

One of the results of these periodical Indian scares was the 
building of the old fort at Spirit Lake, which, as one of the 
oldest landmarks, deserves a passing notice. The town site 
as selected before the United States survey was made, was 
nearly half .a mile north of its present location. After the 
site had been decided upon, a building was erected which was 
intended to be a kind of general headquarters, all contribut- 
ing towards its erection. It was a log building about 24x30 
feet with a shake roof and puncheon floor .and doors. Not a 
foot of lumber was used in its construction. Around tlie out- 
side of the l)uilding, at a distance of from six to ten feet, a 
stockade was erected, which was formed of logs cut ten feet 
long .and about eight inches in thickness. These were set on 



FIRST KELIOIOUS MEETING 161 

eiid ill a trench from two aii<l a half to three feet (k^ep. A well 
was dug inside of the stockade. This buihling was erected 
in June and Julv, IS.")?, and stood there about two years, 
when it was torn down and the hotel then known as the Lake 
View House was erected on or near the same spot. During 
its short existence it had rather an eventful history and will 
he referred to again. 

As would be natural under the circumstances, the settlers 
scattered around the lakes in ditferent localities and had two 
or three places as their general rendezvous, or headquarters. 
The largest number gathered at Spirit Lake, and several small 
cabins were built in the immediate vicinity of the old fort. 
It was the intention, in case of an outbreak or attack by the 
Indians, for all parties to gather at the fort and make such 
defense as they were able. A second party, including W. B. 
Brown, C. F. Hill, William Lamont .and one or two otliers, 
had their headquarters in Center Grove. A third, consisting 
of Prescott and his hired men, was at Okoboji, at the old 
"Gardner Place." 

The first religious services in the county were held at the 
Gardner place, on Sunday, ^fay 11, 1857, and conducted by 
Bev. J. S. Prescott, and deserve more than a passing mention. 
As has been heretofore mentioned, Prescott was a speaker of 
extraordinary ability and one to whom it M-as a pleasure to 
listen, no mattci- what a person's particular ndigioiis ideas 
might be. But th.at fact was not known then. It became pat- 
ent later on. On the evening preceding that Sunday morning, 
word was sent around to the different cabins that there would 
be religious services at the Gardner place, the following day. 
Accordingly at the appointed hour the crowd assembled to the 
number of from fifteen to twenty. It was a unique sight, 
especially to those who had just come from tlie East, to see those 
rough looking, hardy pioneers on their way to church, come 



162 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

filing along, either singly or in parties of two or three, dressed 
ill their red shirts, without eoats or vests and with their rifles 
in their hands, their ammunition slung from their shoulders, 
and leather belts about their waists, from most of which dan- 
gled revolvers. Singular as such a spectacle would be .at the 
present time, it was strictly in keeping with the surroundings 
of that occasion. As the parties arrived they disposed of their 
arms by standing them in the most convenient corner and then 
arranged themselves about the room on stools and benches 
or any thing else that would do duty as ,a seat. The parties 
were mostly strangers to each other at that time, and whether 
they were about to listen to the wild harangues of a pro- 
fessional ''Bible whanger," as a certain type of frontier preach- 
ers were then designated, or to be treated to an interesting 
and intelligent discourse on some live topic, they did not 
know, nor did they much care. It was a change, and the nov- 
elty was enough to bring them out. Promptly at the app<iinted 
hour the exercises were opened by Prescott reading tlie hymn, 

"A charge to keep I have, 
A God to glorify 
A never dying soul to save 
And fit it for the sky." 

Wheelock led the singing, assisted by C. F. Hill and Law- 
rence Furber. Next was prayer by Doctor Prescott. And 
such .a prayer. After the dangers, hardships and })rivations 
that little party had endured for the last month, it cer- 
tainly was a spiritual and intellectual treat not soon to be for- 
gotten, lie made a fervent appeal that the divine blessing- 
be vouchsafed there and then on this first .attempt to establish 
and foster the growth of a true and genuine religious senti- 
ment, that should broaden and deepen as the settlement that 
was then being founded should grow older and stronger. 

After prayer a second hymn was sung, and then the text 
announced; "Be strong and show thyself .a man." The sermon 



THE EARLY STYLE OF LIVING 163 

was one long to be remembered by every one who liear«l it. 
It was a plain, simple and direct appeal to every one present 
to realize the position which he at that moment occupied. 
They were reminded of the importance of asserting there and 
then the principles and practices which should govern them in 
the future. They were reminded th.af 'iiko seeks like" in emi- 
gration as in other things, and that in the moral, intellectual 
and religious tone of the society which they then inaugurated 
they would see the counterpart of the emigration they would 
attract. If the first settlers adopted a high plane of moral 
and intellectual development, the emigration that would fol- 
low would be of the same high character. On the other hand, 
if the standard were made low, it w^ould be the low and de- 
praved class that would he attracted by it. In conclusion he 
appealed to all present to use their best endeavors to build 
up in this frontier country such moral and social conditions 
as they would wish to have their names associated wdth by 
future generations. The entire discourse was delivered in that 
plain, simple, and yet dignified and scholarly manner that al- 
ways commands respect and .admiration. After the close of 
the services the parties all filed out as they came, and it is 
not recorded wdiether any luckless ducks or chickens fell vic- 
tims to their marksmanship on their return to their cabins, 
but considering the scarcity of provisions at that time, such a 
violation of the Sabbatli wonld have l)een deemed excusal)l<^ if 
not justifiable.- 

The manner and style of living in those early days M^as 
decidedly primitive. If a person now wishes to ascertain how 
few of the comforts of life are really necessary and how many 
of them can be dis|")ensed with, he can gain a vast amount of 
such instruction by a few years of pioneering. Perhaps it 
would not be out of place to give in this connection some kind 
of an idea of the manner of living here in lliose onrlv times. 



164 DICKINSON COUNTY IOWA 

"Keeping bach/' as it v/as terined by the boys, is particularly 
and peculiarly a pioneer institution. Men don't know wliai 
they can do until they are tested. They don't know their own 
capacities or capabilities until circumstances bring them out. 
Xow it will be remembered that there were no women in the 
settlement, and most of the men were of that class who give 
the least attention to household affairs, many of them hailing 
direct from stores and offices, and of the class usually desig- 
nated by the phrase "fine haired," and while possessed of a 
goodly share of intelligence and general information, were 
wholly ignorant of the mysteries connected with the .art of 
keeping shirts and pants in repair and converting bacon and 
flour into edibles. Could all of the ludicrous incidents and 
ridiculous experiences of those times be properly written up 
they would, by no means, form an uninteresting chapter. 

The settlers, a majority of whom were young men, were 
scattered in their little cabins in the neighborhood of the sev- 
eral groves where they commenced, for the first time, the solu- 
tion of the great problem of what it takes to make up the 
measure of human happiness. There was nothing very pecu- 
liar about the cabins themselves. In short they could not very 
well have been much different from what they were without 
being peculiar. They were usually small and low and covered 
with either shakes or sods. A board and shingle roof was an 
extravagance not to be thought of. The door and window, or 
more commonly a half window, were set in one side, while a 
larg-e stone fireplace was at the end, with a chimney made of 
clay and sticks up the outside. But it is in the internal ar- 
rangement and fixtures that the greater peculiarities are no- 
ticeable. 

In one corner stands the bnnk, which is one, two or three 
tiers high, according to the nund)er that are expected to occupy 
it. These bunks, which were filled with prairie hay and cov- 



THE EARLY STYLE OF LIVING 165 

crod with a few blankets thrown over thein, composed tlic 
sleeping acoonnnodations. A shelf running along the back wall 
of the cabin and resting upon several huge pins is indespens- 
able in every well regulated establishment. Its contents are 
worthy a moment's notice. First, and in the most convenient 
place, is a pipe and tobacco, next a copy of Shakespeare, then 
a Bible and a pack of cards lie as jwacefully together as mem- 
bers of Barnum's "Happy Family,'" wliile Scott's poems, Wav- 
erly novels, "Pilgrim's Progress" and Davies' Mathematics 
swell the list. 

Mixed up among the literary treasures are boxes of ammu- 
nition, fishing tackle and, as the Yankee peddlers say, "other 
articles too numerous to mention," while scattered .about in 
curious confusion are various articles of household use, which 
vi^^nally consisted of ,a sheet iron coffee pot, a frying ])an, or 
skillet, as the boys usually called it, a few inj tin plates and 
cups, and possibly the luxury of knives .and forks. 

The mystery of bread making was usually a stumj^er, or, as 
Barnuni, in his molasses candy experience, expresses it, the 
rock on wliich they split, and many and varied were the ri- 
diculous experiences of the pioneer's first bread making. Wash- 
ing was another obstacle that r(M|uir(Ml all of their ])ati('n('(' 
and philosophy to overcome. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

NAMING THE LAKES ORGAXIZIXG THE COU.XTY 

hill's trip to SIOUX CITY TO OBTAIX THE OR- 
DER FOR THE ELECTION THE ELECTION IIELB 

OFFICERS ELECTED CARRYING IN THE RETURNS 

THE BOOM THE PANIC ITS EFFECT ON THE 

SETTLEMENT THE FIRST SAWMILL THE FIRST 

FAMILY. AFTER THE MASSACRE PETERS AND THE 

OLD RED MILL THE GENERAL ELECTION THE 

FIRST PARTY OF MINNESOTA INDIANS TO VENTURE 

INTO THE STATE AFTER THE MASSACRE TROUBLE 

ON THE LITTLE SIOUX — -TROOPS ASKED FOR THE 

LEGISLATURE AUTHORIZES THE RAISING OF A COM- 
PANY. 

IMPORTAN'T aniong- the first acts of the settlers was the 
naming of the diflforent lakes, or rather familiarizing 
themselves with the names tliev had alnnidv received. 
Spirit Lake had heen known bv the Indians as Minnie 
Wankon, and l)v the French as Lac d'Esprif. Professor ^ic- 
Bride, in his report of the geological survey of the county, 
unearths a somewhat amusing instance of tlu^ comical results 
of attempfing to apply English orthography to French words, 
lie says: "The redonhtalde CLarkc^ in his notes relates how 
'The Cenoux River passes througli Lake Despreo.' If this 
matter had not been corrected by the French interpreter, in all 
probability Spirit Lak(^ Avould have gone on to the maps ,as 
Lake Depree, and by this tinu' local archoologists would hav3 
been puzzling their brains in a vain attempt to ascertain and 
explain its origin and meaning. Granger and his party made 



NAMIN(J THK LAKKS 167 

an attempt to have it called Green Lake, but it did not succeed." 

East Okoboji Lake was called by the Dacotahs "Okoboozhy," 
and West Okoboji "Minnietonka," sig'nifvin,i>' Biii,- Water. 
Miiiuicronka was and is tlic name of a sonicwhat cclcliratiMl 
lake in ^linui'sota, and to a\'oid (■(infusion the Fow.a Minnie- 
tonka was abandoned and West ()kol)()ji adopted instead. 
Granger made an attempt to nanu' iWest Okoboji ''Lake Har- 
riott," in honor of Doctor Harriott, .and East Okoboii, "Rice 
Lake," in honor of Senator Henry jM. Rice, then United States 
senator fi-oni Minnesota, l)nt the iiduibitants tinally settled 
down upon the i)resent names, East and West Okob(jji. 

The origin and meaning of the word Okoboji is a little un- 
certain. Professor MacBride says, "i)lace of rest." The ]n-e- 
j)ondei".ani'e of testimony, however, seems to be that Okoboji 
simply means ''rushes." Mrs. iWood, who was for years a suc- 
cessful teacher .among the Dacotahs, gave that as the meaning, 
"And there are others." 

The impression exists in some (|uarters tliat Okolxtji was a 
jiowerfnl Sioux chief, wlio fornu'rly had his headipiartei's in 
Okoboji Grove, and that the lake was named for him. The 
(piestion is often asked where Okoboji was buried, but as lias 
been l>efore explained, such belief is wholly unfounded. 

The Indian name of Center Lake is unknown. Previous to 
the nnissacre it was called by the first settlers Snyd<u-'s L.ak<\ 
for Bert Snyder, who had a claim on the east side of it. 
After that for a year or two it was called Sylvan Lake, but 
tinally that name was dropped and the present name, ( 'enter 
Lake, substituted, which has come into general use. 

Gar Lake was at first designated by Granger as Carl Lake 
in honor of Carl Granger. Whether the name (J.ar Lake is 
a corruption of that cannot be positiv<'ly static!, bnt the ])re- 
sumption is that it is not, as the outlet was known liy the 
name of (Jar Outlet long befor<' anv(»ne knew anvthinu- ahout 



168 DICKINSON COUNTS - IOWA . 

Granger's name for the lake. It had its origin in a little inci- 
dent which, though not important, mav be worth telling. 

On the evening of the dav of the arrival of the first party 
of settlers subsecjuent to the massacre, as a small party of the 
boys were cruising around on a voyage of discovery, they 
brought up .at the outlet in which were a school of gars work- 
ing their way upstream. The boys had never heard of such 
a fish and thought them pickerel and became much excited. 
One of them ran to the cabin where he procured a spear which 
they had brought along, and for two hours they waded up and 
down the outlet spearing and throwing out the worthless gars. 
When they tired of that they strung what they could carry 
on some poles and started for the cabin with their wonderful 
catch. Upon arriving there a young fellow from Illinois saw 
what they were and exclaimed : "Boys, those are gars and are 
no earthly good." When the boys became convinced that they had 
had all their work and wetting for. nothing, and that their fish 
were indeed worthless, they were somewhat crestfallen. They 
took the guying they received from the others in good part, 
but it was some time before they heard the last of their won- 
derful exploits. And this is how Gar Outlet first received its 
name, and Gar Lake soon followed. 

Recently the name of Middle Gar has been changed to 
"Minnie Washta." 'Washta is the Dacotah synonym for good 
or nice. Originally there were three lakes known as the Gar 
Lakes, forming a chain about two miles in length, and were 
called Upper, Middle .and Lower Gar Lakes. The outlet for 
the Okobojis is through this chain. ]\[iddle Gar, or INIinnie 
Washta, as it is now called, is the finest of the three. Tlie 
Other two retain their old names of Upper and Lower Gar 
Lakes. Various considerations seemed to emphasize the fact 
that it would be desirable to organize the county at as early a 
da,te as possible. 'While nominally attached to iWoodbury 



ORGANIZING IHE COUNTY 



169 




BRIDGE BETWEEN MINNIE WASHTA AND GAR LAKE. 



County for judicial and financial purposes, it was practical]}' 
outside of any civil jurisdiction whatever. It was early fore- 
seen that it would be a great advantage to be able to settle all 
questions liable to arise in the future under the forms and 
provisions of the statutes. It was therefore determined to 
organize at the earliest practical period, which would be at 
the August election. That election was held on the first Tues- 
day in August, 1857, at the house of J. S. Prescott. Under 
the law .as it then stood it was necessary to send in a petition 
signed by two-thirds of the voters of the new county to the 
county judge of the county to which it was attached and if 
in his judgment the interests of the county demanded it, he 
issued an order for the organization of the new ('(lunty. 

The petition for organization had twenty names attached, 
and was taken to Sionx City by C. F. Hill some time in June. 
John K. Cook was at that time county judge of 
Woodbury County. He issued an order for holding the 
election, which was jicld accord inc,l v. TIk' tii'st officers 



170 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



elected were as follows : (). C. Howe, County Judge ; 
B. F. Parmenter, Prosecuting Attorney ; ]\r. A. Blan- 
cliard, Treasurer and Recorder; P. A. Smith, Clerk of the 
District Conrr; C. F. Hill, Sheriff; Alfred iWilkins, Countx 
Surveyor ; W. B. Brown, Coroner. Pi. U. Wheelock and P. 
A. Sniitli Wi'vc elected Justices of the Peace. After the elec- 
tion it was necessary that the returns he sent to Sioux City, 
and that either the county judge, district attorney or clerk 
of the district court elect go hefore the judge of Woodbury 
County .and give bonds for his a})])roval and be sworn in in due 
form. This journey fell to the lot of the clerk of the district 
court. 

These trips to Sioux City were no h;)li(hiy atfaii's. The 
route by which they were made was to strike out in a westerly 
direction to the head of the Flovd and foHow that stream to 




NATURAL TERRACE ON WEST OKOBOJI. 



hill's visit to SIOUX CITY 171 

Sioux City. There were no settlements on the route until 
within eight miles of the city. The time required for mak- 
ing the trip was seven clays ; the distance one hundred and 
twenty miles each way, or two hundred and forty miles in all. 
Let a person imagine himself taking a trip that distance alone 
on horseback, drinking from the streams he might chance to 
cross, eating a dry lunch from his portmanteau, at night roll- 
ing up in a saddle blanket with the saddle under his head as 
a pillow, his horse picketed by his side, and with no proba- 
bility of seeing a human being for the next three days, and 
he can form some idea of what those trips were. Add to this 
the ever-present danger that roving bands of Indians 
were continually hovering along the border ready at any mo- 
ment to waylay any luckless adventurer who may have ventured 
beyond the line of the settlements, and it will be understood 
that no slight amount of courage and hardihood were exhibited 
in their successful accomplishment. 

The following letter, written by C. F. Hill and published 
in the Sioux City Journal, June 10, 1900, conveys a pretty 
vivid idea of what these early trips were. In his letter Mr. 
Hill says: 

''Hazleton, Pa., June 4, lOOO.^^N'eil Bonner, Sioux City, 
Iowa. — Dear Sir: Yours of May 30, referring to my oarlv 
visit to Sioux City, is received. In the s])ring of 1S,")7 I 
located at Si)irit Lake, shortly after the massacre took place 
under Inkpadutah, and I helped bury some of the dead that 
had been overlooked by the soldiers sent down from Fort 
Ridgley. About the month of May, 1857, the eettlers at 
Spirit Lake decided to organize Dickinson County, which be- 
fore that had been attached with all northwestern Iowa to 
Woodbury County, and I was designated to go to Sioux City 
and eret an order from the court there to hold .an election and 
organize Dickinson County. 

"I started out on my mission mounted on an Indian pony 
which had both ears badly burned in a prairie fire, and accom- 



172 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

paniecl bj a joung man by the name of Barnum, a relative of P. 
T. Barnum, the great showman. Barnum was on foot, and as he 
was ,a good fellow, I shared my pony with him and allowed him 
to ride half of the time. After we left Spirit Lake we did 
not reach a white man until we reached the Floyd Biver in 
Plymouth County, where we met a party of surveyors, who 
were staking out Plymouth City. Barnum and I were glad 
to meet these men, and we begged the privilege of camping 
near them, which they reluctantly granted. The next day 
we reached Sioux City, and put up at the Sioux City House, 
a story and a half building, and to my great surprise I found 
it kept by the Trcscott Brothers, Wesley and Milo, who were 
from near Shickshinny, Pa. I kne\v them well, but I had some 
little trouble in making myself known to them, as my camp 
life, my leggings, Indian pony and other Ind'ian fixings led 
Them to believe that I was a half-breed, which amused my 
companion very much. 

"•[N^ext day I looked up his honor, the Judge of Woodbury 
County, and in a day or two had matters all arranged to start 
the wheels of government for Dickinson County. While I re- 
mained at Sioux City I heard much talk that the remains of 
Sergeant Ployd were exposed by the action of the Missouri 
Biver. and the citizens were about to remove the remains to 
another bluff, where the aggressive ]\Iissouri Biver could not 
reach them. A man by the name of Brughier, a Frenchman, 
lived at the. mouth of the Big Sioux River, and he had two 
squaw wives. 

"Sioux City at that time was an unpretentious village of 
one story and story and a half frame houses. The town was 
hemmed in closely by bluffs, which were so numerous and so 
close together as in some cases to admit only of .a wagon road 
between them. I remember many interesting incidents while 
in the city, regarding the Indians avIio came there. I r(Miiem- 
ber a one story clothing store on the wharf which had a large 
picture oii canvas of an elephant, Avhich the boys called t|lie 
'land elephant.' The land elephant was the great animal of 
those days, and woe to the poor fellow who indulged in too 
much land and allowed the elephant to lie down on him. 

AN INDIAN CAROUSAL. 

"Having completed the object of my mission, I made my ar- 
rangements to return to Spirit Lake, and was directed to a 



AN INDIAN CAROUSAL 173 

saloon, restaurant and grocery store, where I could purchase 
a supply of provisions for my return, AVhile selecting my 
outfit a band of Indians and half-broeds entered. They 
seemed to have plenty of money and one of the braves called 
up the drinks for all hands. They were all well armied and 
in ,a state of carousal that would have laid 'Pat in a Grog 
Shop' in his i)alniiest days in the shade. The brave who was 
treating stepped up to me and in an animated tone asked : 

" 'Are you my f ren V 

"I replied: 'Oh, yes, I am your friend,' 

" 'Then come and take a drink wi' me.' 

"I declined with many apologies, 

" 'Then you no my fren.' 

"I thought I saw trouble aliead and I (juickly changed my 
mind, as I had jiist discovered that I did want a drink, and 
T stepped up te the bar and took a ration of ^Missouri corn 
whisky, I proceeded witli preparing my outfit, when a sec- 
ond brave asked mv to take a drink with him. This invita- 
tion followed the first in such quick succession tli.at I was 
forced to decline, Avhen he sang out : 

"'You drink m'V him — you no drink wi' m< — eh?' 

"So I was in for a second ration, and so it went on, grow- 
ing more lively. At no time was it long between drinks, and 
I devoted the brief time between drinks to collecting my pur- 
chases and completing my outfit, and at the first opportunity 
that offered I made a straight coattail out of tlie door. And 
as I walked up the street I wondered how that poor bartender 
expected to g"et out of tliat green corn whisky dance alive. Tie, 
however, had a six inch Colt's revolver lying on the bar lie- 
liind him in easy reach. It was wonderful what a resi)ect a 
Colt's revolver inspired for its owner in that day. 

"Well, T was happy. I esc.a]ied that drunken, carousing 
band of Indians and was ])leased with my little outfit, which 
contained a lM)ttle of ras])berrv syrup, one can of peaches and 
a box of good cigars. 'Sir. Trescott was very kind to me and 
asked for my pocket compass which he compared with a sur- 
veyor's instruuKMit and it was pronounced correct. This was 
the last thing done. I was now ready to start for Spirit 
Lake alone, as Barnum did not return with me. 



174 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

LOST ON THE PRAIRIE. 

"Sherman's battery had jDassed through the country, a few 
days before, enroute from Fort Scott, to Fort Ridgley, in Min- 
nesota, and it had left a well beaten trail along the Floyd 
River. This battery suffered severely in the first battle of Bull 
Run, July 22, 1861. On my way back I decided to follow 
this trail as far as I could north and then I left it in a right 
line for Spirit Lake. I left this trail either in Buncombe 
(now Lyon) or Osceola County. In the following day, while 
riding under a hot noou-day sun, I became very somnolent and 
slept while riding. In fact, I fell off my pony, and then I tied 
my pony to my- foot with my lariat and lay down and slept 
it out. AVhen I awoke, to my great surprise, the sun was in 
the north. I now had to resort to my pocket compass 
to discover, if I could what had gone wrong with the 
sun. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the 
compass was just as erratic as the sun. It now began 
to dawn- upon me that my idea of direction was muddled 
and'I was lost. The question now .arose. Where am I ( Which 
way have I been traveling ? Which Avay shall I go i 

"I, however, took a course and while riding along T sud- 
denly came ujwn what seemed to me to be a camp of Indian 
tepees on the prairie. My first thought was to turn l)ack, and 
then I was afraid if I should be discovered the Indians would 
give chase, so I decided the best thing I could do was to move 
right on, which I did, and when I neared the suj^posed^ cam]) 
of tepees, to my great surprise up jumped a herd of elk .and 
ran away over a divide. The elk horns whicli T saw were so 
magnified by tlie clear atniosjjhcrc that T mistook tlicui for te- 
pees. 

"After the herd ran over the divi(U' I lieard several shots 
fired, and as there were no white men in that country, as I 
believed, I made up my mind that the shots had been fired by 
Indians. I did not want to meet any Indians, yet 
I was curious to know from whence the shots came, 
so I dismounted and crept cautiously to the top of the 
divide; the elk had disap])eare(l, l)ut \ saw a man going in 
the ojiposite direction to which I was going, and I, for the 
time, was greatly reli(»ved. After going a few miles T was 
haih'd by two men coming towards mo, whom T took for In- 
dians, and I tried liard to avoid tlii'ui, and they tried as hard 



THE FIRST ELECTION 175 

to iuteirt'pt me. Thcv tiiuilly waved tlu'ir hats, and then T 
knew they were white men and tnrned to meet tliem. When 
we met these two men simply exhausted tlheir vocabulary of 
profanity on me. They were members of a party of govern- 
ment t^nrveyors .and said they had not seen a white man for 
so long that they almost had a mind to sh(X)t me for trying to 
evade tluMu. They soon informed me that their chief surveyor, 
Alfred Wilkins, was lost and they were trying To find him. 
T then related the incident of the elks and how I saw a man 
going in the op]>osite direction that T came. They then ]uit 
one of their party on a horse and started him tifrcr him with 
a very large tin horn, lie rerurne<l to canip during the night 
with the lost surveyor all right. 

"T camped with the party and .at our nu'ss I shared with 
them some of the delicacies I had brought with me from Sioux 
City, which they enjoyed, especially the cigars. They now 
informed me that I was in Osceola (\innty, and in the morn- 
ing gave me the direction t;) take to reach Spirit Lak<'. F 
was glad that 1 had nor wandered away fartlicr than 1 did. 
for had they told me that 1 had wandered into the then un- 
ceded territory of l),akota I would have scarcely hcen [)repar;'d 
to dispute it. However, I consoled myself with the thought 
that if I was lost the government surveyor liad un<1ergone a 
similar experience. '^Misery loves company.' 

DICKINSON COUNTY ORGANIZED 

'T reached Spirit Lake the next day, and soon ])osted the 
notices for the election in Dickinson County. The election came 
an<l we (dected a f\dl line of county and township oiiicers. I 
hail the honor of being elected the first sheriff. The election 
over, we held a jollification, made speeches, etc. O. i\ Howe 
in a s|)eech said we had the most independent s<'t (d" officers 
lie ever knew, that each man in the county liad an office of 
some kind, and we owed no thanks to anyone, as we had elected 
ourselv(»s. The election passed off very (piietly. There wore 
no charges of ballot box stuffing and no contests. It certainly 
was an honest election, and I know of no election since that I 
have had the same good opinion of. Every man had an office 
and the harmony that followed was great. The secr(>t of good 
government and honest electi(»n lies in the plan of giving every 
man an office. If the administration at Wasliington will act on 



176 DICKINSON COUNTY - loWA 

the line of this theory tliere will be no reason why turbulent 
Kentucky in time should not become as peaceable and order 
loving as Ohio. I make no charge for tins tip. C. F. Hill." 

Mr. Hill in his letter mentions the fact that "a few days 
before Sherman's battery had passed from Fort Scott to Fort 
Ridgley in Minnesota, and that in doing so they left a well 
beaten trail .along the Floyd River to the state line, w^hich they 
crossed near the northwest corner of Osceola County," This 
trail was visible for years and served as a road through that 
country wlien going to Sioux City from here. The practice 
was to go Avest until that trail was struck and then follow it. 
Later the usual route to Sioux City was by way of Peterson 
and Cherokee, then across the prairie to Melbourne. By this 
route a fifty mile jirairie had to be crossed without a house. 
"Twelve mile slough" and "twenty mile slough" were as well 
known by the early traveler ,as stopping places as the leading 
hotels now are. 

It is well known as a historical fact that during the years 
of 1855 and 1850, there had been a rush of emigration to 
the West, such as had hitherto^ l>een unknown. People neg- 
lected their legitimate business and many run wild in town 
lot .and real estate speculations. Emigration had been boom- 
ing and all kinds of property throughout the West advanced 
in value at fabulous rates. Vast amounts of money were loaned 
at as higli rates as five per cent a month for the purpose of 
investing in western lands. Everybody w.as dealing in real 
estate. Towns were laid out and railroads projected in every 
possible direction. The wildest extravagance took the ])lace 
of judicious economy and businoss sense. This state of affairs 
could not last, but finally culminated in the financial crash of 
1857, which every one admits was induced by over speculation. 

The revulsion was instantaneous and comjdete, and no wliere 
were tlie consequences more severely felt than on the frontier. 



THE PANIC OF 1857 177 

Einigratiini iminediatoly came to a standstill, real estate be- 
came valueless and town pro})ort_v a hyword. 'Flie i>old was 
soon s\vej)t out of the countrv and the cnn-cncy was worth- 
less. Perhaps there are some at this time who don't under- 
stand what w.as implied in a bank failure previous to the tinn* 
of the national banks. Xot only did the depositors suffer, 
but the bill holders as well. Many banks were based on the 
fictitious and inflated values prevalent at that time, and when 
the lK)ttoni fell out, depositor and bill holder went to ruin to- 
gether. .VU projected enterprises .and improvements were for 
the time abandoned. 

The effect of this state of affairs upon the frontier settle- 
ments Avas disastrous in the extreme, and in no place was the 
depressing effects felt more keenly than in this county. To 
remain here seemed to court a life of hardship and privation, 
Avhile to return to the older settled portions of the country offered 
nothing that w.as much better. It was the old orthodox dilem- 
ma, "Yon are lost if you do, and y(»u are lost if you don't." Of 
course the conditions of the settlers bcoanie much changed. 
Frontier life, instead of being a short period of adventure 
which in a few years would be rewarded by positions of influ- 
ence and affluence, became a desperate struggle with adverse 
circumstances for existence. 

Some emigration came in in the fall of 18.")7, but in most 
cases it was made up of persons who had been stripped of 
their projicrty l)y the panic and struck for the frontier to try 
their luck anew. In the fall of 18r)7 a couple of nu'u naniecl 
Isaac Jones and William ^filler, from Story County, brought 
in a small steam sawmill, which they set up on the bank of 
East Okoboji Lake, at a point a little southwest of the Ste- 
vens' bo.atlanding. It was a small atlair, but it su|tpli<'«l a 
want that had l)een severely felt. Previous to this time no 
luuil)er had In-en used in the construction of the cabins. Doors, 



178 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

window frames, door frames, stools and benches had been con- 
structed by splitting out puncheons from the bodies of trees 
and then dressing them down to the desired thickness with a 
hand ax and jack plane. Heretofore the nearest mill was at 
Algona. 

The first man to bring his family into the county subse- 
quent to the massacre w.as Hon. O. C. Howe, who arrived 
here with his wife and one child on the sixth of August. Mrs. 
Howe w.as the first woman to set foot in the county after the 
massacre, and her coming was counted as an event of consid- 
erable interest if not importance. Their daughter, a bright 
girl of three or four years of age, was the first child in the 
settlement. It had been from two to four months since 
any of the boys had seen either woman or child, and it was 
wonderful what a transformation the contact wrought in their 
habits and deportment. 

]Srot much was done at farming during the summer. Some 
few had breaking done on their claims, but as a rule, farming 
Avas neglected. In fact, but few had come here to farm any- 
way. They had come to secure government land, which they 
imagined would soon appreciate in value, thereby making 
them forehanded. They were wiser after two or three years^ 
experience. Had they gone into stockraising for all there was 
in it, .and kept at it during all those years when the vacant 
l)rairies stretching indefinitely in every direction furnished 
unlimited range for stock, they might have made a good thing 
of it, provided the straggling parties of marauding Indians 
that infested the frontier up to 1863 did not come in and com- 
l)e\ them to divide profits. But then they were like the pro- 
verbial iJutohiiian, their foresight was not near so good as their 
back sight. 

The second man to bring his family was Eosalvo Kingman, 
who came from Sparta, Wisconsin. Mr. Kingman was first 



IHE OLD RED MILL 179 

liere early in July, then went back for his family .and returned 
sometime in September. About the same time a roving char- 
acter by the name of Thurston came along with his family 
and silent the winter, but left early in the spring. These 
three, with a Mrs. Peters, who lived upon the isthmus between 
East Okoboji and Spirit Lake, constituted the sum total of 
female society in Dickinson County during the winter of 
1857 and 1858. 

The mention of the name of Peters brings to mind the old 
red mill which may as well be noticed here as anywhere. In 
the fall of 1857 a man by the name of James S. Peters, from 
Bureau County, Illinois, conceived the project of building a 
mill on tlie isthmus between Spirit and East Okol)oji Lakes, 
and for th.at purpose cut a race across from one lake to the 
other. There was at that time nearly eight feet difference in 
the level of the two lakes, so that had the water supply been 
sufficient the mill could eventually have been made a success. 

In the summer of 1858, with the assistance of such of the 
inhabitants as had faith enough in the project to lend a heljv 
ing hand, Peters succeeded in getting up the frame 
aii<l ]nitting in the machinery, which was of a very rude 
and |)rimitive character, having made the most of it 
himself. He finally got the mill in operation in 1859, 
but his work was so unsatisfactory and defective that 
it was a failure. The supply of water w^as also insufficient, 
as was afterwards proven. Peters was a half crazy fanatic 
and a l^eliever in witchcraft, and when by reason of low w^ater 
or the imprefections of his machinery his mill refused to 
work, he invariably ascribed it to some person having bewiteli- 
ed his machinery. Having decided in his own mind who the 
guilty person was, he Avould draw an outline of tli<'ir ]»rofilo 
with a piece of chalk on an oak rnx^ that stooil near the mill, 
and then would sonietinic spend ;i luilf il.ay ;it a lime sluKPling 



180 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the figure with silver bullets. He seems to liave imagined 
that if he could only hit upon the right person and then shoot 
his figure with a silver bullet, that the spell would be broken 
and his power over him and his operations would cease. 
He was always very careful to cut the bullets out again after 
he had exhausted his sup|)ly. After trying in vain to do 
something with his mill for a year or two, dividing his time 
al)out equally l:)etwecn witclies and work, he sold it to Stimp- 
son and Davis, of Emmet County, who overhauled it, but 
fniU'd to achieve .any great success. 

The story is told that one day a halfwitted chap from the 
lioad of Si)irit Lake was down to the mill waiting for his 
^rist, and getting impatient, remarked that he could eat the 
grain faster than that mill could grind it. ''Well, but," said 
Htiuipson, "'liow long could you do it?" "Until I starved to 
death," replied the boy. 

Stimpson kept the mill until 1869, when he disposed of it 
ro Oliver C'ompton, who overhauled it again thoroughly, ]uit- 
liiig ill an entire new set of first-class machinery. But it was 
of no use, the water power was a failure. The drawing of the 
water out of S])irit Lake h.ad lowered that lake and raised 
Okohoji accordingly, and the jn-oject, after sinking several 
tliousaml dollars in it, had to be abandoned. The old frame 
was torn down afterwards and the timbers used for bridge 
I iiiilicrs. 

Among tliosc who were here pi-evious to the massacre Avere 
Pliili]) Kisling and Ilol)ert Madison, from Delaware County, 
botli of wliom were stopping temporarily with the Mattock fam- 
ily. Along about the holidays RSsling went back to his home, 
but .Madis(ui remained here, and as a consequence fell a victim 
to tlie massacre. In the summer of 1857, Mr. Risling, with a 
])arty of neighbors, consisting of William Oldman, George Deit- 
rick, Levi Daugherty and William 'Wiscgarver, came out, bring- 



FIRST SETTLEMENT ON THE LITTLE SIOUX 181 

ing with them coffins for the interiiieiit of their friends, the 
Mattocks .and ^ladison. They brought seven coffins in all. 
They disinterred the bodies of their friends and took them out 
southwest on the prairie and l)uried them on .Mr. Oldham's 
claim. The place has since become the property of Wodd 
Allen. 

Instead of taking his claim about the lakes, .Mr. liisling 
took his claim down on . the Little Sioux. Shortly 
after that some half dozen claims were taken over 
on the Little Sioux, the earlier ones by Moses Miller, Andrew 
Oleson, Gunder and Omen Mattheson. A little later H. 
^[eeker and Mr. Close conmienced their enterprise of build- 
ing a mill on the outlet which they abandoned a couple of 
years "later. Before the close of the war this settlement was 
reinforced by II. II. Wilcox .and Hiram Davis, who also took 
claims on the Sioux. This little .settlement, although insig- 
nificant in numbers, was important from the fact that it was 
the first point reached after crossing a forty mile prairie, in 
coming from Sioux City by way of Peterson and Cherokee, 
^[ose ^liller's shack was small and dirty and inconvenient but 
the light from his window looked mighty cheerful and encour- 
aging to a person who had been toiling all day through the 
snow across that inhospitable prairie without meeting a 
liniiiaii being or seeing a vestige of anything indicating the 
existence of civilized life. 

We will now resume the current of events which we have 
been considering as having occurred in the fall of 1857 and 
tlic winter of 1S.")7 and 1858. Under the old constitution, 
we had two fall elections, one in August when the countv offi- 
cers were chosen, and one in October when state and legisla- 
tive officers were elected. The August election has already 
been noticed. This county at that time was embraced in the 
Fort Dodge representative district. C. C. Carpenter and John 



IS 2 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

F. J)iiiieoni]>c, both of Fort Dodge, were the opposing candi- 
dates. The vote of this county was almost unanimons for 
Carpenter. After the vote had been dnlj canvassed and cer- 
tified to, then the question arose how were the returns to be sent 
in ill time to-be counted. There was no postoffice and no mails, 
and it w.as not known that any person was going out by whom the 
returns could be sent in time. In this dilemma it became nec- 
essary for some one to volunteer to carry in the returns. It 
was finally arranged that R. A. Smith should take them to Fort 
Dodge, but fortunately, on reaching the Des Moines River, on 
the evening of the first day out he fell in with R. E. Carpenter, 
a brother of C. C, who was on his way to the lakes for the pur- 
pose of getting them. The election was very close, the returns 
from this county deciding it in favor of Carpenter, alid the 
county has stood by him loyally ever since. 

The winter of 1857 and 1858 w,as a remarkabW mild one 
and in marked contrast with the one previous. There was no 
difficulty in getting in a sufficient! supply of provisions. The 
hard times did not affect the people here so seriously then as 
later. The total number wintering at the lakes that winter 
was not far from forty. At this time there had been erected 
.about a half dozen cabins in the immediate region of the old 
fort, and they made up in high sounding names what they 
lacked in pretentious appearance. The "St. Charles" was a 
one room log cabin, with a large stone fireplace in one end, 
while a short distance from it was the "St. Cloud," a cabin 
about twelve by fourteen feet and about seven feet high with 
a half window and a dirt roof. Still further on was the "St. 
Bernard," where three or four of the boys divided their time 
that winter between reading Shakespeare and playing seven- 
up. 

Although no outbreak had occurred, many entertained seri- 
ous apprehensions of danger from the Indians. While there 



A "brush" with INDIANS 183 

was no serious alarm felt, all acknowledged the necessity of 
being on the alert and keeping a sharp lookout for danger. At 
one time, in order to allay the feai*s of the women and chil- 
dren, .a system of standing sentry was adopted, whereby two 
men were selected each night to do duty as .a kind of picket 
guard by patrolling the immediate neighborhood of the fort 
and cabins. Aft^r a while this became monotonous and was 
finally abandoned. 

A small party of Indians representing themselves as belong- 
insr to Little Crow's band from the Yellow Medicine Agencv, 
put in an appearance here some time in January. Thoy 
claimed to belong to the same party that had rendorod sucli 
signal service in rescuing Mrs. Marble and Abigail Gardner 
from the Indians the previous year. They camped in Center 
Grove, and remained there about six weeks, wlien they re- 
turned to ^linnesota. The leader of this band called himself 
l^ittle John, and claimed to be a son of Little Crow, which 
claim was afterwards knowni to be false. Little Crow was n<»t 
so well known then as lie was later. Later in the winti'r a 
party- near Peterson, in Clay County, had a In'ush with a small 
party of Indians. Mr. Jareb Palmer, of Spirit Lake, who 
was then carrying the mail from there to Sioux City, was a 
member of the party. After a running fight for about an 
liour, in which one or two were slightly wounded, but no one 
seriously, the settlers drew off, leaving the Indians in posses- 
sion of the field. 

This affair created a considerable alarm, and it was decided 
to apply to the state for protection. A meeting was called at 
the ^'old fort" to consider the situation, antl a committee ap- 
pointed to draw up a petition and present the matter to the 
state authorities. The legislature was in session. A state- 
ment of the affair and a petition to the legislature asking 
immedi.ate assistance was drawn up. ]\[r. Jareb Palmer was 



184 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

selected to take tlie petition to Des Aloines and lay it before 
the authorities. 

C. C. Carpenter represented this district. He took hold 
of the matter in earnest, and in the shortest time possible, a 
l)ill was passed providing for the raising of a company of vol- 
nnteers for the defense of the northwestern frontier. The 
company was raised principally in Hamilton and Webster 
Counties, though not entirely. Upon .arriving at the lakes, the 
captain was authorized to enlist ten additional men from the 
settlers here. The names of these additional enlistments were 
as follows : A. Kingman, J. Palmer, E. Palmer, W. Donnel- 
son, J. D. Hawkins, George W. Rogers, Charles Clark, Wil- 
liam Carsley, (William Allen and one other whose name is 
unknown. It was organized bv the election of Henrv Martin 
of Webster City, Captain ; William Church of Hjomer, First 
Lieutenant; and a Mr. Jewett of Border Plains, Second Lieu- 
tenant. It was the Avife of Lieutenant Church who acted so 
heroic a part in the defense of the cabin of Mr. Thomas at 
Springfield against the attack of the Indians the spring before. 

This company arrived upon the frontier about the last of 
February or first of March, and Avas divided into three 
squads; Captain ^^fartin, with the main squad, making his 
headquarters at the old fort at Spirit Lake ; Lieutenant 
(?hurch with one squad ,at Peterson, and Lieutenant Jewett 
with the remaining one at Emmet. This company had noth- 
ing to do with the force known as the jSTorthern Border Bri- 
gade, which was not organized until some three years later. 

This force was kept on duty until about the first of Jul}*, 
when they were ordered off, but not disbanded. In the fall 
of 1858, upon the earnest representations of .a large majority 
of the inhabitants, they were again ordered into service and 
kept on duty along tin; frontier until the following spring, 
when they were disch.arged. This was the last of any military 
f)per.ations until tlic l)rcakiiig out of the war in 1801. 




CHAPTER XV. 

THE SPIRIT LAKK CLAIM CLl'B TIIK FIRST POST- 

OKFICK THE FIRST MAIL ROUTE TORSOn's 

WONDERFUL FEAT POSTOFFICE AT OKOBOJI 

THE FIRST FUXERAL THE FIRST WHITE CHILD 

BORN IX THE EMIGRATION IX 1858 FARMING 

THE. RAVAGES OF THE BLACKBIRDS DEVICES FOR 

SAVING CROPS THE WET SUMMEU OF 1858 

CROSSING THE STREAMS AND SLOUCiHS DISCOUR- 
AGING CONDITIONS. 

MOXG the incidents of the winter of 1857 and 1858 niav 
Ix^ mentioned the formation of a eUiim clul). It will 
be remembered that the government surveys were not 
yet made, and that claims were held under the laws of 
the state, giving each person the right to defend his joosses- 
sion to three hundred and twenty .acres. Of course, it gave 
him no title to the land, but simply the right to defend his 
possession against everything but an adverse title. Tender the 
provisions of the Dickinson County Claim Club, each inhab- 
itant was entitled to two claims, one in his owai name and the 
other in the name of some other party who was to setth> njxui 
and improve it within one year from the time it was taken. 
According to the articles of association adopted, the club was 
to be under the connnand of a captain and two lieutenants, 
who were to call <tut the club when the assume(l rights of any 
of the claimants were trespassed upon. 'I'lic captain of the 
club at the time of its organization was William Carsley. 
The lieutenants were Charles F. Jlill and .1. 1). Hawkins. 
The organization was short-lived and w.as never called into 
service. 



186 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

The first postoffiee in the county, and, in fact, tlie first one 
in all northwestern Iowa, was established at Spirit Lake in 
J'^ebrnarv, 1858, bv the appointment of R. V. Wheelock as 
postmaster. Previous to this time most of the settlers had 
their mail addressed either to Fort Dodge or Sioux City and 
forwarded from there as opportunities presented themselves. 
There had been a semi-monthly mail route from Mankato to 
Sioux City, established as early as IS")!), but it was not regu- 
larly carried until the winter of 1857. The contract was in 
the hands of a Mr. Babcock, of Kasota, Minnesota, for which 
he received the sum of $4,000 a year, besides a governnuMit 
subsidy of one section of governniont hind for each twenty 
miles of route in Minnesota. 

A Mr. Pease, of Jackson ( 'ounty, Minnesota, had taken the 
contract of Babcock as sul)-contractor. lie carried the north 
part himself, and sublet the south part from Spirit Lake to 
Sioux City to Jareb Palmer, as has been before stated. Dur- 
ing the summer of 1858 this mail contract fell into the hands 
of two young men residing at Kasota, ]\[innesota, Orin Xason 
and Cephas Bedow, who run it until 1802. In addition to 
carrying the ni.ail, wliich they did ])roni])tly and faithfully, 
they did numberless errands for peo])le along the route. There 
was no store between ^lankato and Sioux City, consequently 
there was no <'ud t(» the little luirchascs they were required 
to make, and ui)on their weekly arrival their vehicle had 
mucli the ap|)earance of a Vaid<e(' peddler's outfit — loaded 
down with articles "too numerous to mention.'' 

When they commenced running th(> route there was no trail 
whatever between Ikm-c and Peterson, so on one tri|) they took 
along a lot of bushes and set them along their route at such 
distances ajjart that they could easily see fi'om on<' to the other. 
In this wav they soon had a trail tlu'V eonld follow without 
diflficultv. At one time while thev had the route there came 



EARLY MAIL ROUTES 187 

a heavy snow stoi-iii wliicli rcndcri'd crossing the wide prai- 
ries with a light rig like theirs iiii|)ossible. Bedow started 
with the mail as usual and got as far as the Norwegian set- 
tlement at the head of the south branch of the Watonwan when 
he found it would 1)0 inipossihlc to get through. Accordingly 
he i^ngaged a Xorwegian l)v tiie name of Torson to uud-cc the 
trip. A person who has never seen a Xorwegian on his snow- 
shoes can have no idea of the rapidity with which they get 
over the road. All of the ravines and low places were filled 
with snow wliieh had been packed hard by the strong wind, mak- 
ing the finest kind of a track for the long, slender "skees." 

On this. occasion Torson made the trip from Spirit Lake 
to Sioux City and return in five days, with the heavy mail 
sack strapped, to his shoulders. The distance as then traveled 
was over one hundred and twenty miles, or for the entire tri]> 
near two hundred and fifty miles, or an average of fifty miles 
a day. Some days he must h.ave made considerably more 
than this. lie made a few more trips until the snow went 
down so rhey (-(tnld put their teams on again. 

R. V. 'Wheelock continueil in this position as postmaster 
at Spirit Lake until he left the county in 1801, when it was 
turned over to J>. F. Parmenter, his brother-in-law, wlio ]>er- 
formed the duties of the office until he left the county, a year 
or two later. 

The Okoboji postofflce was establislu'd about a y<'.ar after 
the one at S])irit Lake. G. TI. Bush was the first postmaster, 
l)ut as he left after a few months the office was transferred to 
M. J. Smith, who, ,aft<'r a few years, turned it over to J. W. 
()"1- aiTcll. These wci'c the only two jjostoffices in tlx' conntv 
\ip to the time of the estal)lislini('nt (d' the Milf'ord otficc about 
18()!». 

The semi-monthly mail from Mankato to Sioux ( 'ity was 
kei)t u[) until ISO^, although other mail facilities were pro- 



188 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

vided before that time. In 1850 a weekly mail was put on 
between Algona and Spirit Lake. Judge Asa C. Call, of Al- 
gona, had the contract, which he sublet to a Mr. Henderson, 
of the same place. Bob Henderson is well and kindly remem- 
bered by all the old settlers of that day. These routes were 
both discontinued in 1862, and a Aveekly route from Spirit 
Lake to Fort Dodge substituted in their place. This route 
was carried by John Gilbert and may be referred to again. 

It will be difficult to give the minor events of the i)eriod 
now under consideration in anything like the order in which 
they occurred, and, indeed, except for the fact that they are 
the first, the commencement, of anything like civilized life in 
this new country, would be considered decidedly common- 
place and not worth relating at all. - 

The first funeral services held in the county were at Oko- 
boji in the spring of 1858. Daniel Poorman, a blacksmith 
from Xewton, had commenced the erection of a shop at Oko- 
boji, .and had it partly completed when one Sunday several of 
the boys were in bathing, he among the rest. He struck out 
some distance where he was seized with a cramp, and before 
they were aware of any trouble, he was past resuscitation. 
They recovered the body and did what they could to bring 
him to, but without success. The boys made a rude coffin out 
of such materials as could be found, and he Avas buried the 
next evening near the south end of the east shore of West 
Okoboji Lake. 

Later on, during the same summer, a child of William Bark- 
man was drowned while playing on the dock to which a boat 
was fastened. This was on the isthmus, near the old red mill. 
Mr. Barkman lived on the isthmns at tiiat time, an<l was help- 
ing Peters get the old mill into operation. It was a singular 
circumstance, and one that occasioned .a c(>nsiderable remark 
at the time, that for three or four years after the first settle- 



NEW ARRIVALS 189 

nient of the county there Avere no deaths except hv accident. 
But such was the case. 

Tlie first white child l><)rn in the countv was Riobert AVhee- 
lock Howe, son of ^fr. and ^Irs. O. (". IIowc, horn in yehru- 
ary. 1858. The first uirl, and second chihl l)oru in tlTe county 
was Pen.a Barknian, daujihter of !^^r. and ^frs. Tlenrv Bark- 
man, born in the summer of 1858. 

In the spring of 1858 there was a reasonable amount of 
emigration. Many of those who had ])eon here the previous 
year on prospecting tours, returned in the spring for perma- 
nent -settlement, bringing their families with them. Other 
families also came on the representations of their friends. 
Prominent .among those who brought their families here that 
spring were J. D. Howe, E. U. Wheelock, B. F. Parmenter, 
J. S. Prescott, Henry Sehuneman, Henry Barkman, James 
l^all, Leonid.as C'ongleton, Alvarado Kingman, William Bark- 
man, George Ring, Philip Risling and several others. M, J. 
Smith and his sister, Myra Smith, came that spring. These, 
with those who wintered here, constituted quite a company 
and was the commencement of the formation of society in 
northwestern Iowa. 

The young ladies belonging to the several families at that 
time Avere as follows: ^[isses Sarah and ]\rarv Howe, ^liss 
Belle Wheelock, !Miss Myra Smith, Misses Mary and Emma 
Congleton, ^fiss Sarah McMillen and ]\[iss Dema Adams. 
The number of young men here at the time was about thirty. 

As has been before stated, the places claimed by Granger 
and his men remained vacant until this spring, when M. d. 
Smith made a claim on what is now known as Smith's Point, 
a couple of young men by the names of Dan Calwell and T. S. 
BuflF on what is known as Dixon's Bench, an<l Jareb Palmer 
on upper ^faple Grove, now known as Omaha Beach. 
Caliiiis were built on most (d' th<> claims, and some 



190 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

farming was done this season. It seems like a wild 
statement now, but it is a fact nevertheless, that the 
greatest hindrance to successful farming ,at that time was the 
ravages of the blackbirds. Xo person who was not a witness 
to it can form any conception of tlie extent of the destruc- 
tion possible to be wrought by a flock of healthy blackbirds. 

Corn was the principal crop, as no machinery for handling 
small grain had been introduced into the country. The time 
when the blackbirds were the most destructive was when tlie 
grain was just coming out of the ground, or about the last 
Aveek in May and the first two weeks in June. They would 
come in such clouds as to almost darken the sun, and lighting 
down on the mellow fields where the corn was just coming up, 
would destroy ;i large area in an incredibly sliort space of 
time. They have been known to destroy for one man an en- 
tire forty acre field in one day. And one great difficulty about 
it was that there was no way of keeping them off. Scare 
them up in one place and they would immediately light down 
in another and keep right on with their work of destruction. 
Shooting among thcni had no apprecial)lc effect, Imt it was lots 
of fun for the boys, and gave them good practice. Fred Gil- 
bert, who has so long held the world's championship troi)hy, 
first acquired his wonderful skill .as a wing shot by shooting 
blackbirds in liis father's cornfield with an old muzzle-loader. 

Effigies and scarecrows j^laced in the field had no effect 
whatever. Various schemes and devices were tried to circum- 
vent them, but with indifferent success. Some claimed that 
soaking the seed in co])per.as water or in tar so as to give it a 
bitter taste ke})t them off', but about the only remedy tliat 
]iad any appreciable effect, and one by which many farmers 
saved a portion of their crops, was to scatter corn on their 
fields every day for the birds to pick up. By this means, and 
a continuous working of the corn until it was too large for 



THE WET SUMMER OF 1851) 191 

tl)(,'iii, a portion of tlio cro]) was saved for the tiiiic. ]jut tho 
farmer's ,rril>ulatioiis were not hy any means o\er wlien his 
corn was too laruc for them to pnll or serateh np. .lust when 
the kern<'I was forniinu', or whi-n it was in "roastinii' eai*s," 
tlie hirds were verv (h'strneti\(' ; nearly or (piite as nineh so 
as in the spring'. They woiihl liii'ht on th<' ears, and strip- 
piiiu- down the silks and the hnsks, wonhl th'stroy the ii'rain 
on the i'ar in a very short time. Many a man who had ncii;- 
h'eted to wati'h his ticdd for a few (hiys was surprised on ^oing 
to it to find only .a few dried cohs. Some farmers saved a 
portion of their erops by erecting' several hi,i»li ])latforms in 
their ti(dds and kei^jiing their children on them yelling, 
screaming, ringing cowlxdls and drumming on tin pans until 
they were eomjdetely worn ont. This plan had one advan- 
tage, if no other; the children made alLtlie noiSe thej M-anted 
to and nobody scolded them for it. The pest became so gen- 
eral that in the Eighth General Assembly ]\[r. Blackford of 
Algona, succeeded in getting a bill through providing for ^.^v- 
ing a bonnty on blackl>irds, which remained in force about 
four years, when it was repealed. The pest died out gradually 
as the country settled. As the area of tillable land \v,as grad- 
ually increased, the birds scattered until their depredations 
were no longer noticeable. 

The emigration during the summer of 1858 was not quite 
up to the exptK-'tations of the settlers, hut was all that eonld 
have been reasonably expected under the circumstances. The 
summer was a remarkably wet one. (Continuous rains had 
swollen the streams so as to render them almost impassable. The 
larger streams were out of their banks for weeks' at a time, 
while the smaller ones, which were ordin.arilv nothing but 
little rivulets that one eonhl step across, were now spread ont 
to a width of several yards and swimming deep. As a mat- 
ter (tf course, sncdi a season was verv unfavorable to emiirra- 



192 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

tioii and settlement. To .a person having had no experience 
in matters of this kind and unacquainted with the various 
devices and contrivances which were resorted to for crossing 
swollen streams and bottomless slouglis, it would seem to be 
an utter impossibilitv to make any ])rogress whatever in the 
face of such formidable obstacles. 

And yet the emigration of the summer of 1858 Avas made 
in the face of just such difficulties. ^Most of the travel Avas 
with ox teams, but very few horses being used at that tinte. 
Oxen were preferred on account of requiring so mucli less 
grain, and from the fact that all the care they needed was to 
be turned loose on the prairie at night, and they were .all 
ready to start again in the morning. It was customary to 
travel in small parties consisting of three or four or half a 
dozen teams, each team consisting of two to four yoke of oxen 
liitched to the proverbial covered wagon, or "prairie scliooner," 
as it was then best known. 

Each wagon was or should have been provided with a cable 
rope from seventy-five to one hundred feet long. In traveling, 
whenever a party reached a slough or marsh, or other ])lace 
difficult to cross, it was customary to "double up" .and help 
each other over. This was done by driving up as near to the 
slough as could be done without miring down, and then one 
or more of the boys would take two or three yoke of cattle, or 
as many as were n.eeded, and cable enough to reach to solid 
ground on the other side and cross over. The cables Avere 
then rigged from the team and wagon on the one side to the 
teams that had crossed over, and as soon as everything wa=i 
in readiness the signal was given to start, Avhen by dint of 
much yelling and whipping, and some swearing, which, under 
the mitigating circumstances, wasn't usually considered a 
very serious offense, the other side Avas usually reached Avith- 
out any mishap other than a general bespattering of every- 



CROSSING STREAMS IN HIGH WATER 193 

thing with mud and w.ator. It was absolutely necessary after 
once starting' in to keej) g'oing* until solid ground was reached 
on the other side, since it" by any unforeseen accident, a wagon 
should "mire down," it would keep settling and the black, 
sticky unu\ W(juld settle in around tlic wlu-cds until it would 
be impossible to extricate it in any other manner than l)v 
unloading and prying out, and this in two or three feet of 
mud and water was no picnic. This process had to be repeated 
with variations until every wagon was over. 

In crossing streams tliat were too deep for fording, the 
method of procedure was somewhat different. It was custom- 
ary to take the best wagon Iwx in the outfit and caulk it, mak- 
ing it as nearly water tight as possible. Cattle arc natural 
swimmers, and they seem to like it when they get used to it. 
They soon learn, u])on arriving at a stream, to strike straight 
across .and make a landing upon the further side without any 
delay whatever. Upon arriving at a stream too deep for ford- 
ing the wagon box that had been fitted up for that 
purpose Avould be tak(Mi off and transformed into a 
ferry l)oat. A ('al)le would be rigged to each end of 
it, when a boy would mount one of the oxen that 
had been trained for that kind of work, and swim the stream, 
holding the rope in his hand. Arriving at the o_pposite side, 
he would make fast his ro]M\, turn his cattle loose and proceed 
at once to business, which was to ferry the balance of the party 
across. The first load to go over would of course be men 
enough to manage the ferry and take care of the goods as 
they were sent over. The wagons would now Ix' drawn up to 
the bank of the stream, where they would Ik^ unloade<l and 
their contents placed aboard the improvised ferry boat, an<l 
drawn over to the further side by the men who had previous- 
ly crossed over, and there unloaded again. The wagon l)ox 
would then l)e drawn back and loaded and again sent over. 
'This operation wouM be repeated and re-repeated until the 



194 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

contents of all the wagons were ovev. Then the wagon boxes 
would be lashed down to the running gear and the wagons 
floated over. The cattle wonld then swim across, the balance 
of the party be ferried over and the labor of crossing the stream 
H 71 i shed. 

The next job was reloading and repacking the wagons and 
getting ready for another start. It was no uncommon experi- 
ence for a ]iarty, on arriving at the Imnks of a str(»am, to go 
into canij) for tlie night and then sjiend the whole of the n<'xt 
day in crossing over and getting reloaded, and camp the sec- 
ond night on tli(^ o])])osite side of the stream. The exiierience 
described above was the rule and not the ex(*e]>tion in the sum- 
mer of 1858. 

But this was not all. The fin.ancial crash of the previous 
year, which, by the way, was the most disastrous the country 
had ever known, was now. being felt through the West with 
terrible severity. It became necessary to adopt a system of 
economy and self-denial, such as had not been experienced 
for many years previous and has not been known since. There 
was absolutely no money in the country. Peo])le residing 
in the older portions of the state well remember how utterly 
impossible it was at that time to raise money by any ordinary 
means. Xearly all of the banks in the country had failed, 
and .as there was then no provision for securing and redeem- 
ing tlie circulation, the bills became worthless. From the 
crash of 18.57 to the lu-eakiug out of the war luisiuess was at 
a perfect standstill. 

It was wnth the utmost dittieulty that the commonest neces- 
sities of life could be secured, and all luxuries, and much of 
what is now deemed necessary to su])port existence, had to be 
wholly disjK'uscd with. Such necessaries as tea, coflfee and 
sugar, and, indee<l, groceries of all kinds, were indulged in bv 
but very few, and by tb<'m l)ut sp.aringly. Corn, wheat or 



''HARD times" 195 

l)arley was iiuulc to answer as .a sulK-^titute for coffee, wliile 
''prairie tea" was a very common beverage. This ''j^rairie 
t€a" was nothing- more nor less than the leaves of the "red- 
root," that grew so 2)lentifull\- on the wild j)r:iirie, treated or 
drawn in the same manner as ordinary tea. It was an astring- 
ent, and Avas said to have mnch the same effect on the Imniaii 
system ,as the tea in ordinary nse. 

In tlie matter of clothing the same rigid economy ha(] to 
be observed. Many w(n-e the men who wore moccasins made 
of rawhide, and pants made of grain bags, becanse tliey could 
get nothing better, — not worthless tramps, either, bnt men of 
edncation, energy and intelligence. It was no nncommon ex- 
perience for families to live for weeks with no breadstnffs, 
except such as they could grind in a coffee mill, wliioli, to- 
gether with a little meat, milk, and game or fish, fnniislicd 
t]i(Mr cutiro sii])ply of provisions. 



CHAPTEK XVI. 

DISAGREEMENTS AND JEALOUSIES THE TROOPS 

ORDERED BACK TO THE LAKES JOHX CAMPBELL 

AXD HIS BAXD OF IXDIAXS TWO RECOGNIZED AS 

MEMBERS OF INKPADUTAIl's BAXD ARE ARREST- 
ED BUT ilAKE THEIR ESCAPE CAMPBELL TRIED 

AXD IIUXG FOR MURDER AT MAXKATO ''BAD 

hail" AXD HIS BAXD IXDIAX MEDICAL PRAC- 
TICE QIWRREL OVER THE STEAM MILL AT- 
TEMPT TO REPLF:VIX the logs A FIGHT PRE- 
VENTED BY AX UXLOOKED-FOR CIRCUMSTANCE 

UMPASHOTA AND HIS BAXD THE FIRST 

SCHOOL A PRIVATE OXE THE FIRST TERM OF 

THE DISTRICT COURT PRESCOTT DISPOSES OF 

HIS TUSCULU:\I CLAIMS. 

HEX we now look back and consider tlic obstacles tliat met 
the early settler at every stage of liis progress at this 
time, the only wonder is that any exhibited the energy, 
hardihood and plnck necessary to overcome them .and 
gain a foothold under such adverse conditions. As might be 
expected, jealousies and differences of opinion began to mani- 
fest themselves as diffen'nt and ai)parently conflicting inter- 
ests began to develop. 

One question on which the sentiment was divided was the 
policy of applying for troops .as a ]irotecti(»n against the In- 
dians. Orne portion insisted that, from the exposed position 
of the settlement on the frontier, Ave were liable at any mo- 
ment to be attacked by the Indians and swept out of exist- 
ence l)efore any aid could be obtained or resistance made. On 
the other hand, it Avas .argued by those who were opposed to 




JOHN CAMPBELL AND HIS BAND 197 

applying for troops, that iiiasiniicli as tlu' large bodies of sav- 
ages had left the country, there was really no danger, and that 
the act of asking for troops for the purpose of protection h^d 
the appearance and effect of advertising to the world thar 
there was danger and tliat this was dangerous ground to oc- 
cui)y, thus preventing emigration. The consequence was 
j)etitious and remonstrances went in from both sides, each side 
representing the condition of affairs as viewed from its own 
standpoint. 

It will be renienilxn'ed tliat the troops stationed here the 
previous winter had been called in in the spring, but nor dis- 
charged, the organization having been kept intact, and the 
proposition was to have this body of troops ordered into ser- 
vice .again. This phin finally prevailed. The troops were 
ordered back here in the fall of 1858, and kept here until 
their discharge in the spring of 1859. 

In the fall of 1858 the first election was held under the 
new constitution. In the Fourth Judicial District, Hon. A. 
W. Hubbard, of Sioux City, was elected District Judge and 
Hon. O. C. Howe, of Spirit Lake, District Attorney. 

The winter of 1858 and 1859 was not marked by any event 
out of the ordinary other than has been related. The more 
timid suffered from continued apprehensions of Indian trou- 
bles. There apprehensions were somewhat intensified by the 
arrival at the lakes, some time in January, of a jiarty of In- 
dians in charge of a half-breed by the name of John Camp- 
bell, who acted as chief and interpreter. These Indians 
(daimed to be friendly, but a coujde of trappers from the Des 
-Moines River, by the names of flohn Dtxlson and Henry Chif- 
fen, who were trajjping .at the lakes at tlie time, ehiimed to rec- 
ogni/e two of them .as having l)elonged to Inkpadutah's band. 
They bad bcM^'U tra])piug along tlie Des Moines lliver for a 
year or two and had frequently come in contact with the In- 



198 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

diaus. It will be remembered tliat ^Ir. Cliiifen was one of 
the messengers who went from Sjiringheld to Fort Ridglev 
for help after learning o7 the massacre at the lakes and lie- 
fore tlie attack on Springfield. Dodson and Chiffen l)oth 
claimed to identify two of Campbell's men as belonging to 
l!d<j)adntali's band, and presnmably .as participating in the 
massacre at the lakes. 

Acting upon this information, (Captain Martin determined 
to arrest them and send them to Des Moines, that their case 
might be investigated. A detail of soldiers was made for that 
])nri)ose, and the party start('(l, arriving at ]\Ialian's place on 
the Des ^loines Iliver the first day. During the evening the 
Indians were very uneasy and kept going in and out of doors, 
and kept their guards busy looking after them. Finally about 
nine o'clock in the evening they both went out at the same 
time, the guards accompanying them. When a short distance 
from the house they commenced talking to each other l)y the 
usual Indian grunts, when all at once they both dropped their 
blankets to the ground and springing away from their guards, 
started on the run and were soon lost in the darkness. The 
sui'prised guards returned next day to head(|uarters, where 
rliey were most unmercifully nagged by their comrades for 
allowing their ])risoners to escajie them so easily. The balance" of 
llie band were ke])t prisoners at Spirit Lake for nearly three 
wwks, when Captain ^lartin decided that he had cared for 
them long enough and the best thing to do would in' to send 
them hack to the agency at once. Accordingly he dispatched 
a sijuad of eight or ten men in charge of A. Kingman to 
escort them out of the state. Kingman and his men accom- 
paiiiei] tlicni as far as they could and be sure of getting back 
to the fort the same day. Tlicn they left tluMu with orders 
to get back to the agency as soon as possible and not try to 
visit the lakes again. I'pon arriving at ^Farblc Grove on his 



KOVINO RANDS OF INDIANS lOD 

rctnni, Kiiii:iii.;iii fell in with ;i ^(|n;Hl of finir or five soldiers 
and as many Indians who had hciMi sent out l)_v the {'ttinniand- 
ant at Fort liidglev to h»ok after ( 'aniphcll an<l liis party. 
Kin_<>:nian and his men foHowed a <lifferent route on their re- 
turn than they did on ^'oin^' out. This accounts foi- their not 
fallinii' in witli the other jtarty earlier in the day. Tlu' ser- 
ijeant in chariic at ouee enquired for news of ( "ainjjheH's 
party, when Kino'iuan ]iroeeedi'd to tell them the whoh' story. 
This the sera-eant and his nuMi accei)ted as tru(\ hut the In- 
dians were sns])iei()us, and one of them, a strapping hiii' fel- 
low who could talk Knalisli steppeil Uefore him and lookiui* 
him squ.are in the face, exclaimed: . "Yon lie! (Jod damn 
yoii. You have killed those Indians." Except for the i)res- 
eiice of the soldiers there might have heen serious trouhle then 
and thei-e. hut tlu-y soon had the Indians cooled down and 
started a';t once for Fort Ridgl(\v, and as was afterwards 
learned, overtook ('am])l)eirs jiarty when ahout half way 
there. 

As before stated, Camphcdl was a half-hreed. and at the 
breaking •>nt (»f the ,^Var of the liehellitui, in com])any with 
several half-breeds and Indians, enlisted and went south, but 
were soon aftor discharg'ed for disability. It nn'jis a curious 
fact that came to the surface during the war that the Indians 
and half-breeds enlisted from Minnesota eonld not with-tand 
the hardships and vicissitudes oT camp life at all in compai'i- 
son with the volunttH^rs. After his discharge', Cami^btdl re- 
turned to ^linnesota, where he lived a kind of roving life 
along the ^linnesota River in the vicinity of ^lankato and 
New Flm. Later on he was accused of the niur<ler of the -iewett 
family, on Kim ("reek in Minnesota. lie was taken to Man- 
kato, tried, found guilty and hanged. 

Another |)arty of Indians visited the lakes that winter thai 
mav as widl be noticed here .as anvwhere. inasmuch as the 



200 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

date of their coming cannot be definitely determined, although 
the incident is vouched for by several credible witnesses. 
They were in charge of a chief by the name of ''Bad Hail," 
a very old man. They came down from the Xorthwest, and 
went into camp in the bend of the Little Sioux west of Mil- 
ford, in what was then known as the Risling Grove. The 
first seen of them, two of their number came to the settle- 
ment begging for provisions and stated that one of the squaws 
^vas very sick. Captain Martin immediately dispatched a 
squad of troops to the place with orders to bring tlie Indians 
to headquarters at once. This order was obeyed. Upon their 
arrival at the fort the squaw proved jto be really quite sick^ 
whereupon the medicine man of the party proceeded to treat 
the case in accordance with the most approved methods of 
Indian practice. They laid her down ,at full length upon the 
floor and then proceeded to deposit gunpowder in small (jiuin- 
tities at different places in a circle entirely around her. 
Then they formed in Indian file and commenced marching 
around her, chanting their monotonous ''Hi Yi, Hi Yi," and 
every little while touching off one of the deposits of the 
])Owder. Tliese incantations were kept up for some time, and 
the curious thing about the whole matter was that the squaw 
was soon visibly better and by the next morning was able to 
resume tlie journey. The captain sent a squad of men to 
escort them beyond the state line, giving them strict orders 
to go back to the agency as soon as possible and stay there. 
The discouraging curcumstances under which the settlers 
labored and tlie ditficiilties they encountered were much inten- 
sified by tlie bitter (juarrel which about this time broke out 
among the leading men of the settlement. A steam mill had 
been purchased the i)revious year by Howe, Wheelock and 
Parmenter .and shii)i:HMl to Iowa City, which was at that time 
the terminus of the railroad. There was no advance payment 



QUARRELS AND DISSENSIONS 201 

made, but ono was clue before it eoiild Ix.' moved from Iowa 
City. Tbe tinaneial panic coming on at the time it did, the 
purchasers found themselves without the money necessary to 
meet tlie jLaymcnt tli(\v had promised, or even to pay the 
freight. In tliis emergency they turned tlie contract over to 
Prescott, who paid tlie freight and assumed the entire obli"a- 
tion for the mill. At the same time he entered into a kind 
of written agreement with Howe and Wheelock wliereby they 
were to retain a kind of partnership in I'uiiiiiiig the mill. Th-3 
language of this agreement was somewh.at vague, and after- 
ward gave rise to no end of trouble. Tn the s]iring of 1858 
this mill was h'ing in the Rock Island depot at Iowa City. 
The distance to Spirit Lake by the then traveled route was 
but little short of three hundred miles. For the last two hun- 
dred miles of the route the streams were not bridged, the low 
pr.airie was under water, the streams were tank full and some 
of them overflowing. The boiler weighed about four tons ; 
the balance of the machine was in such shape that it could be 
distributed in such a way as not to overload the wagons. An 
old government wagon was procured for hauling the boiler. 
Something like twenty yoke of oxen were required to haul the 
entire outfit. The train was placed in charge of Mr. iWhec- 
look. I'lio tiuio <)('('n])i<Ml in liringing it througli was something 
over six weeks, which, considering the obstacles and drawbacks 
in the way, was a remarkably quick trip. 

The mill was located in the grove south of tlie Okoboji 
bridge. It was not got into running order until souie time in 
the winter following. Through some misunderstanding or 
misconstruction of the terms of the eonti-.aet, a bitter quarrel 
arose between Doctor Prescott on one side and Howe, ^Vliec- 
lock and T'armenter on the other in regard to the control of 
the mill. I'he merits and demerits of that controversy are 
too volnminous and ai'e not of sufficient imitortanee to be "'iven 



202 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

in dotail. The contest was a long- and hitter one, and hefore 
it was ended most of the people in the eonnty luid heen drawn 
into taking sides with one party or the other. 

While it wonld he hoth im])Ossihle and undesirahlc to give 
a detailed acconnt of the events entering int(» this nnfortnnate 
controversy, one or two incidents will give some insig-ht into 
the nature and intensity of it. l^rescott, in addition to the 
Tuscnlnm claims, endeavored to hold the Okoboji Grove and 
the Gardner i)laee. Tlie Okoboji Grove he kad staked off as 
a town site and was endeavoring to hold it as snch under the 
town site law, although he didn't comply with its ])rovisions 
very well. The Gardner ])lace he was trying to hold under the 
preemption law. The mill was located in the northeast ])art 
of the Okohoji Grov(\ A log boarding house about sixteen 
l>y thirty feet in size had been built near it, also a blacksmith 
^ho]). During the early part of the winter Prescott's men 
had cut and hauled into tlie yard wliere the mill was then 
being: set up, about twelve hundred sawlogs, with the inten- 
tion of cutting them into lumber as soon as the mill could be 
started. Howe and 'AVheelock and their party had thrown all 
the obstacles they could in the way of starting the mill, they 
claiming that Prescott was going" ahead in violation of their 
contract. 

Among other things they contended he was not complying 
with the law in relation to his town site claim, and, therefore, 
that it could be taken by .any one avIio saw tit to tile a C(^ntest 
on ii. Consequently .John Gilbert filed a claim on it under 
the })rovisions of the })reemption law, and by virtue of so 
doing claimcil ownership of the sawlogs that bad been cut 
and hauh'd together, and commenced proceedings in the dis- 
trict court to take them out of Prescott's hands by a writ of 
replevin. ('. F. Jlill, the sheriff, refused to serve the writ, 
but they made a short job of removing him by requiring addi- 



THE LOG ROLLING 203 

tiiinal hoiiils ami tlu-u I'ffusin^- toiic-ccpT any he cuuld obtain, and 
appointinii anorhci-. Matters came to a crisis on the twenty-sec- 
ond lit' Fchrnary, 1n")".», when the newly ap|i<>int<'(l sheriti", with 
a posse of eight or ^en men with six or cij^ht tcain-^, came to take 
possession of the h)gs and deliver them to Mr. (iilU'rt, Avliose 
])lan was to remove a portion of the l)est ones to Spirit Lake 
to 1)0 nsed in niaking shingle. 

Tn the meantime Prescott's men had kept pretty w(dl ])(>stc(l 
on what was going t>n, and they made np their minds the 
logs shonld not go without a fight. Prescott himself w.as 
away, lie went East some time in Decemlx'r, .and his affairs 
were left in charge of G. II. ]>nsh. The hoys made it in their 
way to he in the millyard when they knew the sheriff waiS 
coming. The sheriff's party drove into the yard, where he read 
his writ to ^Ir. Bush .and gave him a cojiy. They then com- 
jnenced the operation of loading the logs, hnt when one was 
fairly loaded Prescott's men would grah it and roll it off on 
the other side. These proceedings were kept up for some lit- 
tle time, the sheriff's men loading a log when Prescott's men 
would tip it over, some of the time sled and all. In the mean- 
time the conversation between the two parties was more re- 
ni.arkahle for strength than for its beauty. In other words, 
the air was blue with ])rofanity. Hut tluu'e weren't any logs 
taken away that day. 

After two or three hours' wrangling, the sheriff and his 
party left, and in the evening came back with a warrant for 
the arrest of all those who had been engage(l in i-esistinu' tin- 
service of the writ (if replexin. This time lu- was aceoinpaniiMl 
by a .small sipuid of -oldiers, Captain Martin with his com])any 
of state troo]>s being stationed at Sj)irit Lake at this time. 
The excitement now ran higher than ev<'r. .\ majority were 
in favor of resisting, and it is more than probable th,a.t su(di 
Would have been the outcome excejjt for a vei'y nnex]H'eted 



20i DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

occurrence. Just as the excitement was at its height and the 
prospect seemed good for a general scrinmiage, a messenger 
out of breath came running with all his might, stating that 
Indians were in the grove at the head of Spirit Lake. 

The sokliers started for headquarters at once and a major- 
ity of the sheriff's posse started for home, regardless of pris- 
oners or sawlogs. The sheriff insisted on taking with hiln 
two or three of the leaders and the balance were let off on 
their promise to appear and answer at the proper time, which 
they did. As soon as possible, Bush, Mr. Prescott's manager, 
consulted a lawyer. Judge Meservey of Fort Dodge, ,and by his 
advice obtained a counter replevin, which, together with an 
injunction obtained later on, put a stop to further j^roceed- 
ings, and the matter quietly died down. Gilbert never made 
any further attempt to get possession. 

In the meantime Howe .and 'Wheelock were determined the 
mill should not run without their claims to a part ownership 
were recognized, consequently when the mill was about ready 
to be started up they went down with quite a party of men 
and took away the valves from the pump ,and some of the 
minor pieces of machinery, tliinking the mill could not be 
started without sending to the works where it was made an<l 
getting duplicaites of the parts taken. But Mr. Mastellar, 
Prescott's engineer, being a very ingenious man, went to work 
and made new valves and supplied the missing parts. Prescott 
now ol)taine(l an injunction against all of tlie parties con- 
cerned, restraining tlicui from interfering with his work and 
then started up tlie mill. In a few days, liowcver, Howe and 
Wheelock witli their men came down again and this time they 
took parts of tlie machinery that could not be replaced without 
sending to the works where the mill was made. 

Prescott on liis return from the East obtained the requisite 
papers for .arresting the otlier parties for violating tlie injunc- 



CHIEF UMPASHOTA 205 

tion. He was accompanied by an officer and a posse of men 
from Webster (bounty, but upon arriving here his men were 
missinii', having skipped to Minnesota to avoid arrest. It seems 
that one of Captain ^Fartin's men was in Fort Dodge at the 
time, and on learning what was up rode all night to get ahead 
of Prescott's party and warn the men. They remained in camp 
just over the state line for .a few^ days, when that becoming irk- 
some they boldly came back to town, submitted to an arrest 
and then went befor<' Judge Congleton, who was in sympathy 
witli them, and procured a writ of habeas corpus and were 
discharged. The first term of the district court for this county, 
which is mentioned in .another place, coming on soon after 
this, the injunction was dissolved. 

This Avas but one of the many episodes of this unfortunate 
quarrel, Avhich was kept up with more or less bitterness until 
both sides were practically exhausted, but it will be neither 
interesting nor profitable to follow tlie details of it further. 
Taking a retrospective view of the m.atter it must l)o admitted 
that the blame should lie about evenly divided. 

It is now necessary to go back to where we left the inhabi- 
tants in a state of wild excitenuuit over the appearance of a 
party of Indians in tlie grove at the head of Spirit Lake. 

As soon as possil)l(' after tlic alarm was given, ('aj)tain ^far- 
tin dispatched a small force to the liead of the lake t<t investigate 
the Indian scare. l"])on tlieir arrival there they found old 
Chief Tnipashota with his family and a few folh»wers in camp, 
who upon seeing the trooj)s were worse scared then they were. 
The soldiers took the Indians to hcathiuartcrs as prisoners, 
where Captain ^lartin found himself in aixmt the same predica- 
ment as the man who drew the white eleph.ant in the lottery. 
He couldn't keep him, he couldn't sell him, he couldn't giv<' him 
away, he liat<'(l to kill him and what to do with him he didn't 
know. In this case Ca]»tain Martin finally decided to send his 



206 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

prisoners to Fort Dodge and tnrn tlicni over to tlic authorities 
there. 

In piirsnance of tliis plan he dispatched Lieutenant (dinrch 
Avith .a small detachment of men to carry it out. Church really 
understood the situation better than ^lartin himself, and knew 
tliat upon arriving at Fort Dodge he would be no better off 
than he was then; consequently, u])<)n reaching Gillett's Grove 
he released the Indians upon their j)roniisc to stiiy away from 
the lakes in the future. This was witlidut doubt tlu' old chief's 
last visit to Spirit Lake. 

Xo public scliools had lieen establishcil in the county up to 
this time, and were not until sometime later. A ])rivate school 
was established by Doctor Prescott soon after the arrival of 
his family in the fall of 1^58. Prescott had erected a cniu- 
paratively convenient and comfortable house during the slim- 
mer, (»ne room of which w.as set aside for a s(dinolroom. The 
teacher employeil was Miss Amanda L. Smith, Pres- 
cott's family, with a few outsiders, furnishing the 
pupils. The exi)ense of tliis arrangement was l)orne 
by Doctor Prescott. It was kej)t ii]) about a ye,ar and a half, 
or until the s]iring of 1860. A prix'ate school had also been 
started at S))irit Lake about th(> same time with Miss ALiry 
Howe as teachei-. 

The first ])ul)lic school in the cimnty was taught at Okoboji 
during the winter of ISdii and ISi;;;, Miss Myra Smith, ti'achei', 
and will lie ii(itice(l further. 

The first term of the di.-jtrict court in the county was ludd 
at Spirit Lake in dune, IS,")!!. Judge Hubbard |)resided, with 
(). ( '. Howe, district attorney; Jareb Palmer, clerk of the dis- 
trict court, and Alfrecl Arthur, shei'ifi'. Attorneys in attend- 
ance were P. F. P.ai'menter, ])ickinsoii ("ounty; i\ C. Smelt- 
zer, ('lav ( 'oinit\-, an<l I'att Robb, W'oodburv ( "ountv. 



FIRST TERM OF THE DISTRICT COURT 'JU7 

Xearlv, it" in»t (|uit(' ;ill. of" the liusiiicss of" tins term i^rcw 
out of tlu' quarrt'l lici'etnt'orc iiicntioiKMl iK'twccn Pn'scutt (Hi 
one side, and Howe, iWhoclnck and Pai'monttT on the ntlicr. It' 
this (pLarrcl was nnt the means (if Itrcakinu n|t the <'nr('r|»risc' <»f 
ostaliHsliinu' the institntinn at 'rnscnliiiu liy |)(tct()r Proseott, it 
ecrtainlv Inirrii'd tij) the event, for it demonstrated the fact that 
it would he' utterly imjiossihle for liim to hold or maintain his 
claim to tlu' land he had selected for that purjjose, as there was 
no law under which he could do it. His enemies (|uestione(l his 
honesty and sincerity of motive and (daimed that he was h(dd- 
ino', or ratlu'r endeavoring' to hold, all of these choice places 
sim{)ly as .a nuitter of sjx'culation ; that lie had no expectati(tn 
of estahlishiuo- an institution of learuinu here, suidi as he had 
heen descrihiuii', and tliat all of his talk in that direction was 
cheap hlutf just for the j)urii!ise of keepiuii' other people from 
claimiuii- the laud. 

Add to this the fact that his friends were ii'cttiuii' heartily 
sick and tii'ed of Ixnng dragged into (piarrels, in whi(di they 
had no indivi<lual concern. Some of th<' more prominent of 
these hecame so thontughly disiiuste(l with the way thiuiis were 
heiuii' nuinaii'ed that they unceremoniously pulled up and left. 
Amone' this nund)er weri' ('. F. Hill and (J. IT. Bush, both of 
whom Juid ahly and earnestly seconded Doctor Preseott's efforts 
to iiain a foothold, hut they could see iiolhiiiii hut conti'Ution 
ahead with no chance for advanta<2'e to tliemscdxcs. Manv 
oth<'rs felt the same way. i*rescott, seeing' that he had lost 
the su])port, syni]);ithy ami contidence of a majority of the in- 
hahit.ants, decidcil to ahandon the whole project, so fai' as tryiuii' 
to found the institution was coiicerne<k and sold otf his Tus- 
culum (daims for what he couhl iict, wlii(di wa< hut a nominal 
sum and a mere fraction of what they cost him. 

Lookiuii' at the |)roject in the liiiht of suhsecpient events, il 
i:^ hardly pos-ihle that it co\di| have succeeded even withont 



208 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

those early troubles. The claims to the land were bought by 
Alfred Arthur and disposed of by him to parties who settled 
upon them at once. These parties Avere H. J). Arthur, Jolm 
Francis, John P. Gilbert, Crosby Warner, Peter Ladu and 
Charles Carpenter, who came from Wisconsin, part of them 
in 1859 and the balance in 1860. Prescott still retained his 
claim to Okoboji Grove. 




CHAPTER XVIT. 

E.MKiliAl'IO.N IX 1S5V» GOVERXMKXT Sl'KVKVS 

COMPI.KTKI) TIIK IK ).M KS't'KAD T-AW TIIK FIRST 

PHYSICIAN THE FIKST :kIARKIAGE CEREINIOXY 

THE M. E. CHURCH REV. CORNELIUS MCLEAN 

HIS SUCCESSORS THE CIRCUIT THE FIRST SING- 
ING SCHOOL SPECIAL ELECTION FOR DISPOSING 

OF THE SWAMP LAND A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE 

SWAMP LAND QUESTION BUILDING THE COURT- 
HOUSE AND TWO BRIDGES SUBSEQUENT BRIDGES 

ON THE SAME SITES THE BRICK FOR THE OLD 

COURTHOUSE EARLY LIME KILNS THE COURT- 
HOUSE NOT COMPLETED WHEN TAKEN POSSESSION 
BY' TROOPS THE SUPERVISORS SETTLE WITH CON- 
TRACTORS. 



X THE SPRIXG of 1859, a company, consisting of A. 
D. Arthur, John P. Gilbert and Spencer Humphrey, 
erected a shingle mill at Spirit Lake. It was kept there 
about a year and a lialf, when it was removed to some 
other locality. 

The government surveys were completed in 1S,")9, and the 
settlers were enabled to establish the buuiuhiries to their 
claims, and take the necessary steps toward eventually secur- 
ing the title. The first government survey was made in 1857 
by a surveyor from Van Buren County l)y the name of Wilkins, 
l)ut was rejected by the government inspector as defective, Avhen 
a second survey was made by C. L. Estes, which was com- 
menced in 1858 and finished in 1850. Tn the light of subse- 
<pi('nt dc\cl(ipiiiciits it is inor<' than prohalih- that the Hrst sur- 



210 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

vey was the more accurate of the two. It certainly was made 
M'ith far more care than the second. 

It will l)e remembered as a historical fact thart; Congress in 
the spring of 1860 passed the first ])ill granting homesteads 
to actual settlers, but that the bill was vetoed by President 
Buchanan. This created much disappointment, and not a 
little indignation, among the frontier settlers, as every one 
then imagined that the passage of the homestead law would 
give a new impetus to emigration and impart new life and 
energy to the frontier settlements. The bill was again intro- 
duced in the succeeding session of Congress and passed, and 
was ap])roved by President Lincoln, and became the law of 
the land in 1862. 'Whatever stimulating effect this law might 
have had it passed at an earlier date, it was of but little ad- 
vantage now. 

At this time the Civil 'War had assumed snch gigantic })ro- 
])orti<)ns th.at every man that could be s])ared was reipiired by 
the army. The soldier and the pioneer are both made of the 
same material, and that element all through the country which 
usually strikes for the frontier for change, adventure or excite- 
ment, M'ent into the army. These facts will l)e noticed more 
in detail in their proper place. 

The first physician in this county was Dr. James Pall, 
from XcAvton, Jasper County, who settled here in 1858, and 
remained here nntil aft<'r the breaking out of the war, when 
he went into government enijdoy as a snrgeon, first at Sioux 
( 'ity, and from there he was transferred to some of the np- 
river posts. 

Tbe first marriage solemnized in I)ickinson ('onnty was in 
the spring of 1S,")!>, the contracting |)arties being William K. 
Ifoot and .\(l(li(' liing, both of Okoboji. Doctor Prcscott per- 
formetl tlic ceremony. The second was in the sununer of 1860, 
at the residence of W. P. Brown, when Abel Keene of ^lankato 



THE rH?ST CHUKCH 211 

was luarried To Miss ('arric Dmiiility of ("cuter Grovo, Tx. lvini>- 
iiiaii, Ks(|., otHciatiiiii. 

The tii'st rcii-ularlv ('stal)lisli('il religions services in iKirtli- 
wesrcni Idwa \ver<' imdei- the ausj)ices df the Methodist Kpis- 
eopal ('liui'ch, which cstahlishc(l a circuit liei'c in IS.")',!. Tlii- 
circuit was ])ut in chargv of Jvev. ('oriielius McLean witli lieaih 
quarters at Okohoji. Wliile there had heen no roiinhii' a])]»iiint- 
inents nj) to that time, services had heen hehl h\- hoctor Prc^s- 
I'ott and such other ministers as had haj)]>ened to \)v trax'elimi 
tlironuh the conntrv. Amoni:' the first setth-rs of those wlio 
professed any particnhir religious belief, a decided majority 
were ConoTegationalists, l)nt of those wdio came later more 
were Methodists. Tt was throngdi the eftorts of Doctor Pres- 
cott that the Methodist Conference of IS,")',) decideil to scihI a 
minister to the frontier. This circuit at that time comprised 
Enunet, Dickinson, (day and O'Brien ('ounties. Services were 
h(dd once in three weeks as follows: Fn Kmmet County, at 
l^stliei'\-ine in tile morning, .and at Kmnu't in the afternoon: 
in Dickinson ( 'ounty the next Sunday, at Spirit Lake in the 
morning, and at ()kol)(»ji in the afternoon: and on tiie Sumlay 
following that at Peterson in the morning, and at Watei'inan, 
in O'Brien ('ounty, in the afternoon. This round had to he 
made every three weeks. 

y]v. ALd.ean was among tlie Ijest educated and UKist tah'nteil 
men sen,t into this county hy the AFetlKHlist ( diui'cdi. and far 
superior to many wlio were afterwards sent in tliat early d.u\'. 
T'p to lS7(i the ministers who were sent to this circuit iiy the 
Methodist Kpiscoj)al Church since ^Tr. ^fc Lean's time, were 
asf(dlov,-s: ,1. A. \'an .\ndor, J. W. Jones, \V. Hyde, Seynmur 
Snyder. W. .\. Ki(diards, W. ,\V. Mallory, (J. Br.. wn, William 
Preston ami J. K. ( 'oh<'none. While prea<diers (ddtlier denom- 
imitions occasionally held services in the coniity, there wa^ no 
otlu-r so(Metv oi'<>ani/ed than the Methoilistr- until IST'l. when 



212 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

.a society was organized bv the Congregationalists which will 
be noticed in its proper place. 

In February of 1859 the question of disposing of the swamp 
lands for public improvements was submitted to a vote of the 
electors and carried almost unanimously. It would have been 
far better for the county had the project been defeated. Those 
residing in the central .and southern portions of the county 
were at first inclined to oppose the scheme, but after a little 
campaigning they ascertained that they would probably be in 
the minority any way and so concluded that they had had quar- 
reling and trouble enough where there was nothing to be gained 
by it, and stayed away from the polls altogether. Consequently 
the vote on the question was very light and .all one way. 

The parties to the contract as originally made were Hon. 
Leonidas Congleton, county judge, on the part of the county, 
and J. T). Howe, A. D. Arthur and B. F. Parmenter, as con- 
tractors. According to the terms of that agreement the con- 
tractors were to take the swamp lands of the county (which, 
by the way, were not then selected), be the same more or less, 
;inil ])ay all of the expenses for selecting them, and in consid- 
eration for them erect a courthouse u})on a site, and according 
to plans and specifications furnished by the county ; and three 
bridges, one across East Okoboji Lake east of the town of Spirit 
Lake, one across the straits between East .and West Okoboji 
Lakes, and one across the Little Sioux. The original con- 
tractors disposed of their interest in the contract to J. S. Pres- 
cott and Henry Barkman, receiving as a consideration there- 
for several thousand acres of the swam]) land. 

At the present time this swanij) land question is not under- 
stood by most peo})le, and as it has occupied so prominent a 
place in our county history a short explanation and review of 
the question is in order here. It is a historical fact that the 
states along the Mississipj)! liixcr liad long becni importuning 



THE SWAMP LANDS 213 

Congress for the passage of a law making an a[)propriation for 
the purpose of reehiiniing the swamp and overflowed lands 
along tliat river and its tributaries, and urging various reasons 
for the necessity of such .action. This Congress persistently re- 
fused to do. Finalh', however, a law w.as passed turning the 
whole matter over to the states in which these lands were located, 
and granting the swamp and overflowed lands to them, and 
making it incumbent on them to have the lands reclaimed as 
far as possible. 

The state of Iowa, instead of doing anything towards re- 
claiming these lands, granted them in turn to the several coun- 
ties in which they were situated upon the same terms she re- 
ceived them from the general government, at the same time 
authorizing the county authorities to apply the proceeds aris- 
ing from the sale of any such lands as could not be drained 
or otherwise reclaimed b}' ordinary methods, to be used for 
the purposes of education or applied to the building of county 
buildings and roads and bridges. There is no question that 
Congress in j^assing such an act never intended it to apply to 
the uplands, or the small sloughs and marshes which are com- 
mon in this section of the country, and it is only by a forced 
construction of the law that any of these northwestern coun- 
ties secured a title to any swamp land whatever. 

Again, the laws of the state and the general government 
were somewhat conflicting as to the manner of making the se- 
lections and obtaining the title to the lands. All of the laws 
relating to the subject were carelessly drawn and were differ- 
ently construed by the officers wdiose duty it was to execute 
them and carry their provisions into effect. The commis- 
sioners for selecting the swamp lands in this county were 
Andy Hood and B. F. Parmenter, and the amount selected and 
returned by them aggregated nearly sixty thousand acres. 
This amount was ridiculonslv lan><> and was branded as fraud- 



21i DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

iil<'iir at oiieo. Had a smaller .aniniinr liceii selected ^nd re- 
turned, it is possible the title would have heen eonhrined 
without delay. Had matters remained as thev were in the 
good old days of Buchanan's administration, doubtless the 
entire selection would have l)een approved and no questions 
asked, hut a change of administration occurring about the 
tiuK.' (if the selection, the entire business of the Interior De- 
partment received an overhauling, the swam]) land business 
among the rest, and the conse(pience was a lialt was ordered 
and the burden of ])roof thrown upon the claimants of the 
lands to show that they were in truth swamp and overflowed 
lands as contemplated by the act granting them. With this 
explanation the reader will be better able to understand the 
swamp land (piestion and the dithculties growing out of it. 

The contractors, acting on the sup])osition that the title to 
the land would be })erfected in the same manner that it had 
been done in the older counties, obtained quit-claim deeds 
from the county and then sold it for the ]mr])ose of raisino' 
means to go on with their improvements, giving Avarranty 
deeds for the same. It was not until about a year and a half 
that they Ix-gan to have any fears that their title would not 
be good. .\s soon as it became evident that the title to the swamp 
land was likely to fail, Mr. Barkman set to work to com- 
]n'omise and settle with those to whom he had sold this land, 
and in many cases succeeded in doing so, but Prescott had 
carried it on on so large a scale tliat any attempt to compro- 
mise was hojyeless. In most instances he had sold the land iii 
large (|nantities to parties who understood the (pu^stiou of the 
title as well as he did himself, and at i)rices varying from 
twenty-five to fifty cents ])er acre, thus proving conclusively 
that they were perfectly aware of the defect in the title. 

As before stated, the amount selected in this county and re- 
turned as sw.amp land aggregated nearly sixty thousand acres. 



A VEXED QUESTION ' 215 

Those were (iiiir-i-l:iiitu'(l hv the cuiiiity tn the contractors and 
in turn sohl hy thcni for a mere nominal snm. they givino- war- 
ranty deeds therefor. Many of these hinds have (dianucil hands 
rej)eatedly, and the matters growing out of these bogus titles 
and conflicting chiims have been a source of great annoyance 
lo the connty authorities since that time. The amount of land 
that was tinalh- certiiied to the countv was something over 
tluH'e thousand acres. This had been (luit-cl.aimed with the 
rest to the original contractors, but afterwards it was under- 
stood that the manner in which the question was sul)initte(l to 
the vote of the electors and the transfer made was not strictly 
in accordance with the provisions of the st,atut<'. Suit was 
bronght in e(]uity on Ixdialf of the county against the <triginal 
contractors and* their assignees for the abrogation (»f the con- 
tract. 

^lessrs. Wilson and Dye, a law fii'ui in Sioux ('ity, were re- 
tained by the county authorities to ni.anag<' this snit on behalf 
of the county. The contractor-; iiuide no defense. In fact, 
they had all hdt the couiity except Mr. Harknian, and he was 
interested in having the old transfers set aside, consecinently 
the conveyances were declared void. 

Tn the meantime another contract had been enter<'d into by 
the county authorities with ^Ir. Barkman alone by which he 
Avas to receive the entire amount of the swamp land certitied 
to the county ; hence his interest in having the old deeds can- 
celeil. It was the understanding Avhen .Wilson and Dye were 
em])loye(l to briiiii' tl'is snit, that it was to be without ex|>eiise 
to the county, or rather, th.at as tbe lands were really bar- 
gained away at that time that those interested in getting the 
old transfers canceled should stand the exjiense of the suit. 
Be this as it may, no sooner was the decree rendered abrogat- 
ing the ohl contract th.an Wilson and D'ye tiled their (daim 
aeaiust the countv for attornev fees to the aniouuL of four 



216 * DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

thousand dollars. They emphatically denied ever having 
agreed to accept anybody else as responsible for the pa\^ for 
their services but the county, and there was no evidence to the 
contrary. The minutes showed that they had been regularly 
employed, and there was no way out of it but to settle. The 
amount was finally compromised and they were allowed 
twenty-five hundred dollars. 

Mr. Barknian had been a heavy loser in the original con- 
tract, and the county now entered into a new agreement 
with him whereby they transferred to him all of the land they 
had received or might receive in the future. Taking all 
things into consideration this whole swamp land question and 
the manner ^n which it w,as managed has been a most intol- 
erable nuisance. In the first place, the expense to the county 
has been heavy. They made repeated endeavors to get the 
question settled, each of which was attended with great ex- 
pense, but without success, the general government steadily 
refusing to take .any action whatever upon the question, either 
to approve or reject the selection, and it was not until after 
a delay of nearly twenty years that the matter was closed up 
by the county getting the amount heretofore mentioned. 

On the part of the contractors the matter w.as still Avorse. 
They had sold the lands in good faith and given warranty 
deeds for them. It is true they had sold them cheaply. The 
amount they realized from the proceeds was small and they 
could ill afford to subject themselves to the outlay necessary 
for the perfection of the title. They put forth every effort 
to have the matter disposed of, keeping agents in Washing- 
ton at a lieavy expense, but finally were obliged to give it up 
as a hopeless job. 

Xor are these the only ones who have been injuriously 
affected by this vexed question. !Many of these defective 
titles were finally ])urchased l)y parties who thought they sav/ 



THF-: COLirniOLSK AM) HUIDOKS 



•J 17 



an O])portnnity to secure lidiues for tlicinselves upon nneom- 
lUfjnlv easy teruis. Tliesc were mostly pom- men and they ex- 
pt'n<leil what litth' projierty they had in trailinii' for these 
hogns tith's, and then I'enidvinii- fi-oiii I heir eastern homes 
came liere with th<' intention of settling, when they fonnd the 
title to their land not worth the jiaper it was written npon. 

'J'hcse nuitters- have .also lieen a source of great \-e.\arion to 
our county otticers. The diHiculty of making ahstracts and 
giving satisfactory information in regard ti> lands atiected hv 
these eonriicting claims has heen great indeed. Kveii at this 
time our county ofliccrs .are repeatedly imjxn-tuned hy parties 
holding these defective titles, wanting to know the reason whv 
iheir titles are n(tt good and will he satistie<l with nothing less 
than full ex])lanation of tlu' whok' nuittcn". 

In giving this review of the swam]) land (|uesrion, the de- 
tails of the IniiMing of the coiirrh(in-^<' and l)ri(lges ha\'e he<Mi 
(tverlooked. Of tln^ work to he done hv the contractors, the 




From an Oil Paiiitini; by Mrs. A. L. BiicklHnil. 
OKOHOJI BRIDGE IN 1874. 



218 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



two bridges across the lake were finished in. 1860. The one 
at Spirit Lake, east of town, was three hundred feet long, and 
the one at Okoboji was two hundred and ten feet long. Thej 
were built on bents, or trestles, set sixteen feet apart, with 
a main span over the priucij)al channel thirty feet in the clear. 
This span was strongly trussed with heavy braces, king-posts 
and needle beams. The bridge at Spirit Lake was built by 
the contractors themselves, employing and j),aying their help 
by the day. Harvey Abbott, a brother-in-law^ of Howe and 
Wheelock. furnished the plan and acted as foreman. The 
bridge at Okoboji was built by John Loomis, he having a con- 
tracted for it from Howe and Arthur before the main contract 
was turned over to Barkman and Prescott. 

Since they were first erected these bridges have been rebuilt 
four times. The first time was in 1874 or 1875. At this time 




OKOiJo.ii hkidck and chadk looking north. 



BRIDGES 219 

the trestles were all taken out and at each side of the main 
channel were erected log cribs and these cribs filled with rock 
to hold them to their places. Grades were put in in lieu of 
the portions of the bridge taken out. These bridges were 
built by contract and were to be at least four feet above the 
water level. After being completed the distance was carefully 
measured and it was found to be Tour feet and two inches to 
the top of the planking, and yet, such was the rise of the lakes 
that spring that on the first of July the planking was under 
water. As the bridges rested on piers it was an easy matter 
to raise them and block them at any point desired. They 
were strongly built .and would have answered all purposes for 
many years, but for the fact that the question of the uaviga- 
tion of the lakes began to be agitated about this time and the 
necessity for swing bridges discussed. 

Mr. L. W. Waugh, then a member of the Board of Super- 
visors, claimed that a light, strong bridge could be so constructed 
that it could be raised by tackle and blocks to an upright posi- 
tion, so that boats might pass through. His scheme looked so 
plausible tliat the board adopted it and he went to work and built 
new bridges on the old piers, erected derricks and procured 
ropes and pulleys .and rigged everything to his satisfaction. 
But his plan was defective. It didn't work. He raised the 
liridges once or twice, but it took so much time and required 
so much power that the attempt to raise them was abandoned. 
The bridges were used in the shape they were until about 
1883, when they were taken out and swing bridges erected in- 
stead. The first ?\ving bridges were set on piles, but when 
they were rebuilt in the winter of 1807 and 1898, the piles 
were taken out and solid stone piers laid in cement were sul)- 
stituted in their place. 

At the time the l)ridges were first l>uilt, the sand bars reach- 
inc; to them from tlie further side were well out of water and 



220 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



from three to four rods wide. They were covered with vege- 
tation, the one at the south end of the Okoboji bridge being 
covered with a growth of trees and bushes, some of which 
showed evidences of being forty or fifty years old. The idea 
that the approaches over those sand bars would eventually 
have to be graded up at a heavy expense to the county was not 
then thought of. But the heavy rains of the next two decades 
raised the water to such a height that it became necessary to 
build .a grade four or five feet high over the sand bars at the 
end of each bridge. At the Okoboji bridge the sides of the 
embankment were riprapped with boulders floated in from 
along the lake shore on flat boats. This work was done piece- 
meal, but was finally finished in 1882. 

The brick for the courthouse Avere burned on the isthmus 
in the fall of 1859 by William Barkman, .a brother of Henry 
Barkman, the contractor. Mr. Barkman had formerly helped 




STEAMER PASSING THE OKOBOJI BRIDGE. 



BRICKMAKLNC 221 

Peters on the old mill. While (lig-i>ina' the race * across the 
istlimus, the peculiar adhesive quality of the clay .attracted his 
attention. lie was a brickmaker by trade, and lie soon became 
convinced that the material they were W(»i-kini>' in was the 
best brick clay he luul ever seen. 

After the contract for the courthouse was let he took the 
job of furnishing: the brick. He burned two kilns. They M'ere 
located on the ground afterward occupied by the Orleans 
Hotel, iris experiment was a complete success. lie succeeded 
in producing a brick that lias never been ctiiiallcMl in (piality 
by any other, either shii)ped in or prodiu-i'd h<-re. They were 
hard as flint and absolutely fireproof. 

Since that time other jiarties have tried tlieii- ham! at mak- 
ing brick on the -^anie ground. Init none ^n('( ceded in j)roduc- 
ing an artich' that at all c()ni])areil with those made by Mv. 
Barkman for the old eonrthonse. What the reason is, or what 
the secret of ]\Ir. Earkman's success was is not known. 
Wheth^-r or not the industrv can be revived on the old around 
and made remunerative remains to be demonstrated. 

The lime Avas burned from limestone boulders picked up on 
the bank of the lakes and boated to the kiln on ilatboats. 

Preseott being one of the contractors furnished the lumber 
from hi< mill in Okoboji Grove. The lumber was principally 
oak. The building M-as also covered with oak shingles sawed 
in the Okoboji Grove. What little ])ine lumber was used had 
to be hauled across the country by teams from ^lankato, hav- 
ing been previously brought up the ^Minnesota River from St. 
Paul on flatboats. 

The foundation for the courthouse w.as laid in IS.-.li, and 
the walls put up and the roof ])ut on in ISdO. Ilarvev Ab- 
bott furnished the ])lan and superintended the car- 
penter work, while William Lamont, one of the ])artv 



222 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

who originally came up with Wheelock and Parmeriter, 
did the mason work. The house was in this partly 
finished condition when it Avas taken possession of for military 
headquarters in August, 1862, and used as barracks and head- 
qnarters until 1865. The details connected with its occupancy 
as such will be given in another place. Of course, the build- 
ing was subject to very bard usage during the time it Avas 
occupied as a military post, and it was impossible for the con- 
tractors to complete their contract while thus occuj)ied. 

During that time the fact became apparent that the title 
to the swamp land, which had been voted by the county as a 
consideration for public improvements, would prove worth- 
less, thus entailing great loss to the contractors. In consider- 
ation of this state of affairs, the Board of Supervisors passed 
a vote releasing the contractors from any liability for the 
non-completion of the work and authorized the cancellation of 
the agreement under which the Avork had been carried forAA^ard 
thus far. 

This action of the board Avas sliarply criticised. It Avas 
considered on the one hand that the contractors understood 
u])on the start Avhat they Avere going into, that they had no 
reason to expect that all of the selections A\'ould be approved, 
and that had they been, the value of the land Avould have been 
very much in excess of a reasonable compensation for the 
amount oi Avork contemplated in the contract, far more than 
the loss to the contractors Avould be if the Avork AA^as completed 
and then the title to the land should fail. It Avas like a ticket 
in ,a lottery. If they succeeded in getting the title perfected, 
they had a "big thing," but on the contrary, if tlicy failed, 
they Avould lose the amount expended in making the improve- 
ments. They, therefore, advocated the policy of holding the 
contractors to the strict letter of their agreement. 

0)1 the other hand, it Avas urged by the contractors that 
their losses had alreadv been verv heavA', the cost of doing that 



THE COURTHOUSE COMPLETED 223 

kind tif work Ix-iiiii' many rimes as great as it wdnld l>o now. 
They onntendcMl that tliev had spent more than th<' entire 
valnc of the hind \\lii(di wnuhl probably bo eertitied to them 
in enih'avoring to get the swamp land question settled, and 
th.at it was as mncli to "the interest of the county as tliemselves 
to have the matter closed np and that they had already lost 
more than the entire value t>f the work they ha<l done. This 
was nnd(tnl)tetlly true, and the Ixiard took tlie responsii)ility 
of cancelling tlie contract and releasing the contractors and 
their sureties upon their turning over to tliem the bridges and 
courtliouse in the condition they then were. 

After it was vacated hy the United States troops, and at 
the time it was turned over to the county in 1865, it ^vas 
totally unfit for use as a public building, and in.asniuc]i as the 
contractors had been released from any further work upon it, 
it became necessary for the county authorities to make some 
provisions for a county building. So it was finally decided to 
go on and complete tlie courthouse according to the origin.al 
plan. This was accordingly done. County warrants were so 
depreciated at that time that tEey were • worth but aliout 
twenty cents on the dollar, consequently this work proviMl 
expensive to tlie county. The work was done in detached por- 
tions, but was finally completed in 1868. 

The ofiices in the lower story w^ere occupied by the county 
officers in tlieir several capacities. An arrangement Imd been 
made with the officers of the school district whereby the dis- 
trict l)ought seats and seated the coui-t i-oom in (•onsi(hTatioii 
of liaving it to use for school purposes, and as there was but 
two terms of court a year, they did not conflict much. The 
old courthouse was used for almost every imaginable purpose. 
TJevival meetings, dances, traveling shows, political gatliorings, 
in sliort. anything that would bring a crowd met there on 
equal terms. These conditions continued to the time »»f the 
bni'iiini: of the coni'thouse in Fehrnarv, 1ST2. 




CHAPTER XVIII. 

DISCOUKAOIXG CIKCUMSTAXCES ATl'K KII KXSIOXS 

OF IXDIAX TROUBLES MEASURES FOR DEFEXSE 

THE MIXUTE-MEX LAST HOSTILE IXDIAX' 

KILLED IX' IOWA THE TOWXSIIIPS COUX^TY 

GOVERX^IMEXT THE FIRST BOARD OF SUPERVIS- 
ORS THE BRKAKIXG OUT OF THE AVAR THE 

CALL FOR TROOPS HEAVY EXLISTMEXTS RE- 
NEWED APPREHEXSIOXS OF IXDIAN TROUBLES 

GOVERNOR KIRKWOOD APPOINTS JUDGE BALDWIX' 

TO LOOK AFTER FROXTIER DEFENSE ONE IX- 

STANCE SHOWING THE NATURE OF THE DANGER 
TO WHICH THE SETTLERS WEK'K KXPOSKD. 

^TIE <li:>astroiis effects of the ]);uiic of 18.->7 upon emiirration 
and ^ettleinent were felt with iiiri-casiiiii- severity. .\s lias 
before been stated, eiui^-ratidii aliimst entir(dy ceased and 
tlie few that did come dnriiiii" the year and a half preced- 
ing the l)r<'aking' out of the war seemed to be of that class who 
came to the frontier because they could find nothing else to do. 
They lacked the intelligence, energy and enterprise that char- 
acterized the first settlers. The population was now shifting, 
as many of the first who had come here yielded to the dis- 
couragements and difficulties by which they were surrounded, 
or had become disgusted .at seeing those who had assumed to 
be leaders in the different enterprises which had been ])ro- 
jected spent their means and energy in futile attemjjts to 
crush each othei*, rather than in the legitimate business of build- 
ing up and carrying forward the enterprises they had in hand. 
The result was that many left who ha<l previously thought fav- 
orably of making their permanent residence here, whih' those 



226 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

who remained were more or less discouraged and disheartened. 

The sjDring and summer of 1860 were uneventful. Appre- 
hensions of difficulties \vith the Indians were continually felt 
by the more timid, and as the sequel proved, two years later, 
these apprehensions were well founded. Governor Kirkwood 
had always manifested a lively interest in the grow'th and pros- 
perity of the frontier settlements, and no man realized better 
than he the dangers to Avhich they were exposed or the necessity 
of more adequate protection for them. 

This question of frontier defense was a serious one for the 
state authorities. While the soldiers were at their posts and 
on duty, but very few Indians were to be seen, and the few 
that were met with were profuse in their protestations of 
friendship. ISTo outrages were committed and no indignities 
offered to the settlers, thus seeming to justify the criticisms 
so often made on the state authorities for such an extravagant 
use of the public funds as keeping an armed force on the fron- 
tier simply to gratify the vanity of a few favorites who were 
ambitious to wear soldier straps. But no sooner were the 
forces withdrawn than the annoyances began again. For 
about a year after Captain Martin's command was withdrawn 
the frontier was left without any pretense of protection by the 
state whatever. 

In March, 1860, at the regular session of the Eighth Gen- 
eral Assembly, the following bill was passed : 

"Section 1. Be it enacted hy the General Assembly of 
the State of Iowa, That for the purpose of protecting the citi- 
zens, of the northwestern portion of the state and enabling 
them to defend themselves against the threatened depreda- 
tions of marauding bands of hostile Indians, the Governor 
])e and is hereby authorized to furnish to said settlers such 
arms and ammunition as he may doom necessary for the ]uir- 
poses aforesaid. 



THE MINUTE-MEN 227 

"8ix'. -. Thai till- (iovcnuu- be and lierehy is author- 
ized to cause to he eurolled a company of minute-men in num- 
ber not cxcee<liui>- twelve, at the Governor's discreti<Hi, wlio 
shall at all times, hold themselves in readiness to meet any 
threatened invasion of hostile Indians as aforesaid. The said 
minute-men only to l)e paid for the time nctually emidoved 
in the services herein contemplated. 

''Skc. ■). Tliat tlie said minute-men, undi'r the orders 
of the Governor at his discretion, and under such regulations 
as he may prescribe, a number of not exceeding four may be 
employed as an active police for such time and to ])erform such 
services .as may be demanded of them, who shall he ])aid only 
for the perio<l durini:' wliieh they shall be actively ciiiployed 
as aforesaid. 

'*Sec. 4. There is hereby appropriated from the state 
treasury the sum of five hundred dollars, or so much thereof 
as may be necessary, for carrying into effect the provisions of 
this act." 

Tliis act was approved ^Nfarch i)th, 1860. 

Tlius we s('<' that the state of Iowa was put on a war footing 
f)f four men in active service and a reserve of eight to fall 
back on in case of an emergency, and the whole backed by an 
appropriation of five hundred dollars, and this, too, for the de- 
fense of two liundred miles of exposed frontier, 

llic iiiiinitc-iiicii were enlisted and stationed on the fron- 
tier, with headquarters at Cherokee. Prominent among them 
were two brothers from Alden, in Hardin County in this state, 
l)y tli<' name of Purcell. Sam, the older of the two, was ap- 
pointed leader. At that time they were well known along the 
border for their skill and courage as trappers .and frontiersmen. 
Another member who was well known to the people here was 
George iW. Lebaurvoux, of Cherokee. Whether there is any 
record in existence giving the names of the parties in full, 
how long they were kept in service, what tliey were paid, when 
tlicy were discharged or any otlier facts in relation to tln-m, 
is not now known. 



228 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

They were on duty from a year to a year and a half and 
they did splendid service. They were vigilant, active and 
alert, and attended strictly to their business, which was to 
carry dispatches from one point to another, to investigate and 
g(^t at" the truth of all reports regarding the movements of the 
Indians, and, in short, to make themselves generally useful. 
They did it faithfully and well. It is much to be 
regretted that no official record of their existence has 
been preserved. They were in all probability the only 
legally authorized com})any of minute-men ever raised 
in the state of Iowa, and it would l>c interesting to know more 
of them. It may be interesting to note here as a historical 
incident that the last hostile Indian killed in Iowa w.as by 
these scouts. The circumstances, as related by the men them- 
selves and afterw.ards written up by !Mr. Jareb Palmer for the 
Spirit Lake Beacon, .and })ul>lislu'd in F(d)ruarv, 1803, were 
suljstantially as follows : 

"About the first of September, 1861, they were out scouting 
near the headwaters of -Mill Creek and did not return until 
quite late at night. At this time they were making their 
head(|uarters .at Cherokee and boarding with Lieutenant Le- 
baurvoux. Not caring to disturb Lebaurvaux and his family, 
who had already retired, they put their horses in the stable, 
which was simply a fr.ame of crotches and poles covered with 
hay. After caring for their horses, they clambered upon the 
top of the stable, wrapped themselves in their blankets and 
were soon sleeping the sleep of the weary. But ere long the 
alert ear of one of the scouts detected ah unusual noise in the 
stable below. Quietly waking his brother, they listened and 
became convinced that Indians were attempting to steal their 
horses. 

^'The night was moouless but starlight. How many savages 
Avere in the stable, they did not know, yet fearlessly grasping 
their rifles, they prepared to kill each his red man. Soon two 
of them appeared, each leading a horse, one of which belonged 
to the Lieutenant and the other one to the scouts. Each 



TIIK LAST INDIAN KILLKU IN IOWA '229 

sek'ctecl his Indian and tiredj when the one h'ading the horse 
belonging to the Lieutenant fell dead in his tracks. The other 
one, thouffli badly wounded, succeeded in niakinii,- his escajie. 
A party followed the trail next day and ascertained that tlie 
horse had drago:ed the Indi^an several niilos before lie was able 
to mount. It was afterwards learned that this Indian, though 
badly wounded, succeeded in reaching the agency, that he 
tinally reciivcvcd, and what i^; more, lie ke]it the stolen liorse'" 

Pdlitieally, t*lie tirst settlers of this eounty were re|)ul)]icans, 
and for years there was not a democratic vote cast. At the 
first organization of the county, there were no township or- 
ganizations etfected and no township officers elected. Thi-^ 
state of atfairs remained in force until IS,")*.*, when the county 
was (lividetl into two civil townships. Spirit Lake and Oko- 
lx)ji. The bridge at tjie narrows between East and West Oko- 
boji Lakes was the division line. The next year, or in 18G0, 
a cliange was made and the town of East Okoboji was or- 
ganized. The name of this town was subsequently changed 
to Tusciiluiii. This arrangement for the civil township re- 
mained in force for several years, or until 1800, when a new 
deal was made by the .addition of Center Grove and Lake- 
ville. A new adjustment of boundaries was also made at this 
time. 

This arrangement remained in force until 1872, when the 
congressional townships were all organiz<Hl as civil townships 
with the exceptions of Westport and Excelsior, which were 
together as one township until 1875. 

The reader will hear in niiiid that at the time of the organi- 
zation of this county, the (;(junty judge system was in force 
and remained in force until 1800. The older ri'sidi'uts of the 
state will remember that under the (dd county judge system 
<jf government, the judges had almost absolute control of all 
matters connected with county goxcrnmeiit, and the system 
])roved good (tr bad just as g(H»d or hail men were ])hice(l in 



280 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the position. There is no question but that one man can trans- 
act more business and do it better and cheaper than any de- 
liberative body, if he possesses the requisite integrity and 
ability for his position ; %vhile on the contrary, if the power is 
placed in incompetent or dishonest hands, an amount of injury 
can be done that is almost incalculable. 

The abuse of the county judge system had come to be a seri- 
ous evil in this state and all portions were clamorous for its 
repeal. The system w.as finally abolished in 1860, and the 
supervisor system adopted in its stead. 

When first adopted, the supervisor system provided for a 
supervisor from each organized township, being modeled after 
the Xew York system. This proved so cumbersome that it 
was afterward changed to the present system. The office of 
county judge was retained until 1868, but its duties were 
merely nominal, being simply judge of probate in their re- 
sjiective counties. Leonidas Congleton was county judge when 
the county business was transferred from that office to the 
Board of Supervisors. 

The first Board of Supervisors were J. S. Prescott for 
Ok()l)nji, Bosalvo Kingman for Spirit Lake, and Willi.am Bark- 
nuiii for East Okoboji, or Tusculum, as it was afterwards 
called: John Smith, clerk of the district court, acting as 
clerk. At that time the clerk of tlie district court was ex 
otHcio clerk of the Board of Su]>ervisors, the office of county 
auditor not having been established until 1868. One of the 
first acts of this Board of Supervisors was the giving of quit- 
claim deeds to large quantities of swamp land to the contract- 
ors for the ])ublic building, upon their giving bonds tliat the 
conteniplatctl iui])rov('ments should lie com]d('te(l according to 
agreement. 

Armed M'ith tliese deeds, which were eventually declared 
worthless, thev sent Mr. Prescott to northern Illinois and Mr. 



BREAKING OUT OF TIIK WAU 231 

Arthur to Wisconsin where they sncetH.MhMl in (lis[)(>sinii nf 
quite a larg-e quantity of them, but at a mere nominal price. 
Mr. Prescott also succeeded in inducing quite an emigiration 
from Winn('l)ag'o County, Tllinoi-^, dnring the s|)riiig and siun- 
mer of 1801. Prominent among those who came that season 
were Daniel Bennett, Henry INIeeker, William Close, J. W. 
O. Farrel, Samuel Phippin, E. V. Osborn, James Evans, C. 
H. and Samuel Evans, John Brown, H. W. Davis, Samuel 
Rogers, George Kellogg and several others. These all l»rought 
their famiiies with them and for a short time the discouraged 
settlers began to hope tliat emigration had revived and that 
new life and vitality were to be injected into the frontier set- 
tlements. But this hope was of short duration. 

The breaking out of the Civil War in tlie spring of 1861 
put a stop to emigration altogether. Just as circumstances 
began to look a little more prosperous and settlers began to 
look with a little more hope to the future, then came the start- 
ling news tluit Suuiptcr had been attacked and that hostilities 
had commenced. 

Then came the call for troops, and as a result the restless 
and adventurous element, which under ordinary circumstances 
strikes for the frontier, now went into the army, and as the 
season advanced and the ])reparations for war began to assume 
such gigantic propoi-tions, emigration ceased entii'cdy. In 
addition to this, as soon as it became evident that tlie rebellion 
was not going to be easily crushed, but that the contest would 
be sanguinary and bitter, the great majority of those who were 
liable to military duty went into the .army. 

Xor was this all. Along the sparsely settled region of the 
frontier, the i)roportion going into the army was greater 
than anywhere else. In no part of the couuti-y did the call for 
troops meet with a more ready response lli;iii in this county. 
A tiinjority of those liable to iiillitai-y duty eiilisteil in \]\r 



232 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

summer of 1861. The first enlistments were for an independ- 
ent cavalry comiDany that was being raised at Fort Dodge, 
which after being sent to the Army of the Potomac, was 
finally, throngh some sort of hocus-pocus, transferred to the 
Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry instead of an Iowa regiment. 
Through the efforts of General N. B. Baker, this company was 
afterward credited to Iowa's quota of troops, but served in the 
Army of the Potomac to the close of the war. 

The names of those from this county who served in that 
company were as follows: F. A. Blake, E. P. Kiing, Samuel 
Rogers, Seth Emery, Charles Matthews, Albert Hodge, Charles 
Turner and George Daniels. E. P. Ring rose to the rank of 
major before his discharge. While he was captain of the 
company, it won a reputation for reckless daring equalled In- 
few and excelled by none. The next company to receive re- 
cruits from this county was known as the Sioux City Cavalry, 
afterwards as Company I, Seventh Iowa Cavalry. The re- 
cruits from this county were as follows : A. Kingman, Henry 
Schuneman, George Rogers, M. J. Smith, Thomas Doughty, 
Frank Doughty, H. D. Arthur, John Francis, Peter Ladu, 
Ethel Ellis, Gunder Mattheson, Xorton Warner, Jareb Pal- 
mer, Robert Henderson, Norton Crosby, James Shackleford, 
H. C. Owen, Frank Mead and David Maxwell. O. C. Howe 
was given a captain's commission in the iSTinth Iowa Cavalry. 
Daniel Bennett enlisted in an Illinois regiment. These are 
all of the enlistments from this county during 1801. 

Subsequent to that time the enlistments from this county 
were as follows : H. J. Bennett, G. D. Rogers, Henry O. Far- 
rell, Williiini Pr<'s('()tt, L. F. King, John Jenkins, Eber Pal- 
mer, George Kellogg, William G. Jenkins, George Cooper and 
Xewton Farmer. There were drafted from this county: C. 
H. Evans, James Evans, I.. A. Stimpson and Samuel Phippin. 
Of these the two Evans went into the army and served to the 



APPREHENSIONS OF TROUBLE ON THE FRONTIER 233 

close of the war, Phippiii was rejectect on examination on ac- 
count of phvsiciil disability and Stimpson secured a substi- 
tute 

There W(»re others also who left here before enlisting and 
so were credited to other localities, until at one time there 
were uot more than a half dozen men in the county liable to 
enrollniciit for military duty. 

During the period now under consideration but little oc- 
curred worth recording, except it was in some way related to 
the military operations of the country. Xcarly every family 
was in some way represented in the army, and little else was 
thought of or talked of than the prospective success or failure 
of the forces in the field. 

More or less apprehension had been felt from the start of 
Indian depredations. As .a rule the Indians avoided the lake 
regions in their periodical excursions through the country. 
Occasionally a small party would stray through here, pretend- 
ing to be friendly, but they were always shy and uncommuni- 
cative. As the settlement grew in strength these apprehensions 
gi'ew less, .and families were beginning to feel a sense of secur- 
ity which w,as (piite a relief from the feeling of ever-present 
danger which had prevailed up to this time. 

The breaking out of the war, and the enlistment of nearly 
all of the able bodied men in the army, brought back the old 
feeling of danger .and insecurity with all of its old time vivid- 
ness. It will Ix? noticed that a majority of tlio>;e enlisting 
from this county had gone into Company I, of the Seventh 
Iowa Cavalry, or as it was then called, the Sioux City Cavalry. 
This company was not assigned to any regiment for more than 
a year after its first organization, but was detailed for scout- 
ing and frontier .service. 

During the winter of 1801 and 1802, tliey were divided up 
and scattered aluni: llic fr(^ntier from Sionx Citv to Esther- 



234 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

ville. Their headquarters were in Sioux City, .and they had 
to go in every month to muster and draw their pay. The 
balance of the time they spent in scouting and carrying dis- 
patches from post to post. These posts had been established 
along the frontier at points .about fifteen miles apart. This 
plan was kept up during the winter of 18G1 and 1862. Every 
day dispatches went sent over the line and reports made to 
headquarters. While the danger to which these troops serving 
on the frontier were exposed was not supposed to be as great 
as that of those who had gone to the front, their exposures, 
hardships and privations were much greater. 

1*^0 person realized the importance of maintaining the fron- 
tier along its then existing lines more th.an Governor Kirk- 
wood. Hostilities had no sooner commenced at the South than 
he realized the fact that the probabilities of trouble along the 
frontier were largely increased. As early as the twenty-fifth 
of April, or only a few days after the fall of Sumpter, he 
wrote a letter to his friend. Judge Baldwin of Council Bluffs, 
recommending the forming of volunteer companies. He says : 

'*I authorize you to make any such arrangements as you may 
think the safety of the border requires in the way of organiz- 
ing companies and perfecting a system of communication 
with each other in case of need. I leave the whole matter to 
your discretion, confident that you will in all respects act with 
due regard to tlie safety of the frontier and the public inter- 
est." 

Judge Baldwin appointed General G. M. Dodge liis adju- 
tant, and on the sixth of May they together issued a circular 
or open letter to the inhabitants of the frontier counties em- 
bodying Governor Kirkwood's ideas and explaining the de- 
tails of their organizations. These communications are inter- 
esting, as reflecting the state of public feeling at that time, but 
are too long to be produced here. There was no company 



DANGER TO FRONTIER SETTLEMENTS 235 

org,aiii/0(l in this coiiiitv uiidcr the foregoiiie: arrangement. 
The prc'liiiiiiKiries for one were arranged at one time and the 
organization partly effected, bnt before it could lie completed 
most of the boys volunteered and went into the service of the 
United States, and the "Home Guard" never materialized. 

The following example is given as showing the nature of the 
danger to which the frontier settlements were .at this time 
exposed. The fact that this event occurred -within three miles 
of Sioux City only served to show up in stronger light the 
nature of the danger. 

On the ninth day of July, 1861, two men were murdered by 
hostile Indians within three miles of Sioux City under the fol- 
lowing circumstances : These men's names were Thomas 
Roberts and Henry Cordua. They had left town tliat morn- 
ing for the purpose of working in a patch of potatoes three 
miles awav, and not i'('tin'iiin<>- at ni<>"ht their families Ix'ffan 
to fear that some misfortune bad befallen them, so a small 
party of men started out in the night for the purpose of ascer- 
taining the cause of their detention. Upon arriving at the 
place where the men had been at work, their wagon was found 
overturned, the harness lying on the ground and the horses 
gone. 

After a brief search the bodies of the men were found near 
where they had been working. Appearances indicated that 
the murdered men had stopped work about noon to eat their 
lunch and feed their horses. After tying their horses to the 
w^agon and feeding them, the men had gone to a stream in a 
ravine near by to procure water. Upon returning and when 
M'ithin a short distance of the plowed field, they had been 
fired upon by the Indians in ambush. Mr. Rol)erts was shot 
in the back, the ball passing through the liroast and lodging 
in his right hand, which was resting upon his breast with his 



236 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

thumb in the armliole of the vest. From this it is evident 
that he was unconscious of danger when the fatal shot was 
fired. The pail in which he had procured water remained in 
his hand, still holding about a quart of w.ater. The ball fired 
at Cordua took effect in the left side and passed out of the 
right breast. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE MINNESOTA MASSACRE ILOW IT BEGAN 

AMBUSH OF CAPTAIN MARSH THE BATTLES OF 

FORT RIDGLEY AND NEW ULM THE INDIAN 

DREAD OF ARTILLERY COLONEL SIBLEY PLACED 

IN COMMAND THE BATTLE OF BIRCH COULEE 

THE PRISONERS SIBLEY's EFFORT TO GET 

THEM WITHOUT FIGHTING A FAILURE BATTLE 

OF WOOD LAKE SIBLEV MAKES ANOTHER DE- 
MAND FOR THE PRISONERS INDIANS DIVIDED 

THE LARGER PARTY WITH THE PRISONERS SUR- 
RENDER AT CAMP RELEASE LITTLE CROW WITH 

HIS BAND ESCAPES UP THE RIVER LITTLE CROW 

VENTURES TO THE SETTLEMENT THE FOLLOWING 

YEAR AND IS KILLED THE INDIAN PRISONERS 

TRIED BY A MILITARY COMMISSION AND THREE 

HUNDRED AND THREE SENTENCED TO BE HUNG 

PRESIDENT LINCOLN INTERFERES ORDERS THIR- 
TY-NINE OF THE LEADERS HUNG THE BALANCE 

SUBSEQUENTLY PLACED ON A RESERVATION 

THE EFFECT ON THE WILD TRIBES. 

^'ENTS HOW followed each other on the northwestern 
frontier in rapid succession which more than justified 
the meager and insufficient measures which had been 
inaugurated for frontier defense. 
The Indian outbreak on the western frontier of Minnesota 
in the summer and fall of 1862 is so closely connected with 
the history of northwestern Iowa, and especially of this coim- 
ty, that it is entitled to a somewhat extended notice. That 
the destruction of the settlements here and along the Des 
Moines River was a part of their original plan has been pretty 



E 



238 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

clearly established, and this fact renders the story of the Min- 
nesota massacre more interesting to Iowa readers. Judge 
Flandrau's account of the commencement of the trouble, writ- 
ten several years later, is .about as clear and concise as it conld 
well be made and is as follows : 

"Everything about the agency up to the eighteenth day of 
August, 1862, presented the usual appearance of quiet and 
security. On the seventeenth of August a small party of 
Indians appeared at Acton and murdered several settlers. 
Whether these Indians had previously left the agency with 
this intention is doubtful, but on the news of these murders 
reaching the Indians at the Upper Agency on the eighteenth, 
open hostilities were at once commenced and the traders and 
whites were indiscriminately massacred. 

"The missionaries residing a short distance above the Yellow 
Medicine Agency ,and their people with a few others were 
notified in time by a few friendly disposed Indians, and to 
the number of about forty made their escape to Hutchinson. 
Similar events occurred at the Lower Agency on the same 
day where nearly all the traders and whites were butchered, and 
several who got away before the general massacre commenced 
were overtaken and killed before reaching Fort Ridgley, thirteen 
miles below, or other places of safety to which points they 
were fleeing. Nearly all of the buildings at both agencies 
were destroyed and such property as was valuable to the In- 
dians was carried off and appropriated by them. The news of 
the outbreak reached Fort Ridgley about eight o'clock A. ]\[., 
August eighteenth. 

"The fort was in command of Captain John S. Marsh, Com- 
pany B, Fifth ]\rinnosota Volunteer Infantry. He had eighty- 
five men in his company from which he selected forty-five, 
leaving the balance under the command of Lientcn.ant T. P. 
Gere to defend the fort. This little squad under t/lie com- 
mand of Captain Marsh, with a full su])]dy of ammunition, 
provisions, blankets, etc., accompanied by a six mule team, left 
the fort at nine A. M., on the eighteenth of Augnist, for the 
Lower Agency, which w.as distant about thirteen miles up the 
]\rinnesota River and situated on the other side of the i-iver 
from the fort, being reached by ferry from the agency. 



MINNESOTA OUTBREAK 239 

''(^11 the mai'cli up the eoniiiiiiiul passed nine or ten dead 
bodies lying' in the road, bearing evidence of having been mur- 
dered that morning by the Indians, one of whom was Doctor 
TTuniplirey, surgeon at the agency. On reaching the vicinity 
of the ferry no Indians were in sig-ht, except one on the other 
side of the river who endeavored to induce them to cross. A 
dense chaparal bordered the river on the agency side, and 
tall grass covered the bottom on the side where were the 
troops. Sus2)icion of the presence of Indians was aroused by 
the disturbed condition of the water of the river, which was 
muddy and contained floating grass. Then a group of ponies 
was seen. At this point, and without a moment's notice, In- 
dians in great numbers sprang up on all sides of the troops 
and ojDened upon them a deadly fire. About half of the men 
M'cre killed iui^tantly. Finding themselves surrounded, the 
survivors endeavored to make their escape the best way they 
could. 

"Several desiderate hand lu hand encounters occurred with 
varying results and the remnant of the command made a 
point down the river about two miles from the ferry, Cajitain 
^farsh being of the number. They attempted to cross, but 
the Captain w,as drowned in. the attempt. Only thirteen of the 
command reached the fort alive. * * "" Having massacred 
the people at the agencies, the Indians at once sent out ma- 
rauding parties in all directions. They covered the country 
to the northeast .as far as Glencoe and Hutchinson, to the 
southeast nearly to St. Peter, and to the south as far as Spirit 
Lake, Iowa. They carried death and devastation wherever 
they went, murdering men, women and children to the num- 
ber of one thousand. The settlers being accustomed to their 
friendly visits, were taken unaw'ares and were sliot down in 
detail with(^)nt an opportunity for defense." 

In .addition to the cngagcnicnt ;il tlic Lower Agency, as 
above descrilved, wliicli was i-eally nothing more nor less than 
a bi-ntal massacre, there were engagements between l)odies of 
Indians and organized forces of soldiers and settlers at Fort 
Kidgley, Xew I'lin and I>irch Coulee in the order named. It 
will be renienibereil that the action at the Lower Agency was 
on the afternoon of the eighteenth of August. Two days 



240 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

later, or on the afternoon of the twentieth, the Indians made 
their first attack on Fort Ridglev. Fort Eidgley was .at this 
time garrisoned by the remnant of Captain Marsh's company 
that had been so fearfully cut up in the ambush at the Lower 
Agency, and one company of the Fifth Minnesota Infantry, 
under Lieutenant Sheehan, who arrived there on the nine- 
teenth, having made a forced march of forty-^flve miles in 
nine and one-half hours. 

The balance of the forces were volunteer organizations and 
not in the military service of the United States. Itidgley 
was in no sense a fort, but simply a collection of houses built 
for the accommodation of the troops. 

As before stated, the first attack was made on the afternoon 
of the twentieth, and lasted about thi"ee hours, when the In- 
dians were driven back. Two attacks were made on the next 
day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, lasting 
about a hour and a half each, but without any decisive result. 
During the night of the twenty-first the Indians were largely 
reinforced by the arrival of their head chief. Little Crow, 
with about five hundred additional warriors. 

On the morning of Friday, the twenty-second, the savages 
seemed determined to carry the post at all hazards. They made 
repeated assaults .and were as often driven back. These 
assaults continued for nearly five hours, when the Indians, 
finding all of their efforts baffled, drew off, and concentrating 
all of their forces started down the river for Xew Ulni for 
their final and most desperate effort, which place they reached 
on the morning of the twenty-third. Xew Flm is situated 
thirteen miles from Fort Ridglcy down the river, while the 
Lower Agency is about the same distance above, and the Upper 
Agency some distance above that, near the mouth of the Yellow 
Medicine Twiver. 



ATTACK ON NEW ULM '241 

The sontlierii Ixmiularv of the reservation was but a few 
miles from Xew Ulm, making it the most exposed ])oint on the 
Minnesota frontier._ Xo government forces were stationed 
there, an<l after the outbreak at tfie ag-eney on the eighteenth, 
it was evident that i)r(>l)ably A'ew Thii woidd be tlic first set- 
tlement to be attacked. Apjirehending this the adjacent set- 
tlements at once took measures for defense. At St. Peters a 
company of one hundred and sixteen men was at once raised 
and the command given to Judge Flandrau. Other i)laces 
raised such forces .as they could and instinctively they all 
seemed to gravitate toward Xew Ulm as being the place where 
their services would be soonest needed, and by the morning of 
the twenty-second the force numbered about three hundred, 
but very poorly armed. Judge Flandrau was at ouce chosen 
to command, and he proceeded as rapidly as possible to get 
things in a manageable condition. 

Xothing of serious consequence occurred until the morning 
of the twenty-third, when at about nine-thirty A. ^f. the In- 
dians came do\\ni upon them seven hundred strong. At first 
the advantage was slightly with the Indians, but the settlers 
soon rallied and after recovering from the nervousness inci- 
dent to the first attack held the Indians off in good shape. 
The savages .soon surrounded the town and commenced firing 
the buildings on the windward side. By two o'clock the fire 
was raging on both sides of Main Street in the lower part of 
towm. About this time a squad of about fifty men charged 
through the burning street and drove the Indians out beyond 
the houses. They then burned everything that could serve as 
a protection to the savages, and the day was won. The loss 
on the part of the inhabitants was about sixty. The number 
engaged was nominally three hundred, but they had not arms 
for more than two hundred to be on duty at a time. About 
one hundred and ninetv houses were burned :ill Inld, partlv 



242 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

by the Indians and partly by the settlers. The fighting con- 
tinued all Saturday night, with some firing Sunday morning. 
The Indians then drew off to the northw-est in the direction 
of their reserv,ation. 

There were in the town at the time of the attack from twelve 
to fifteen hundred non-combatants, men, women and children, 
and these would all have been massacred had the Indians suc- 
ceeded in carrying the town. One fact which was developed 
at the battle of Fort Ridgley and which proved of inestimable 
value to the white troops during the remainder of the Indian 
cami^aign, was the superstitious dread the savages had of ar- 
tillery and more especially of shells. The unearthly whiz- 
zing and shrieking of these mysterious monsters as they 
howled through the .air was something new to them and in^ 
spired them with a terror wholly uncontrollable. The second 
explosion or bursting of the shell was to them something 
wholly unaccountable and the effect was demoralizing in the 
extreme. 

How much this simple circumstance may have had to do 
with the Indians changing their plans and abandoning their 
Iowa campaign altogether, we can only conjecture, but there 
is no doubt it had something to do with it. The following 
extract from a description of the battle of Fort Ridgley by 
an eye witness and published in the ]\[inneapolis Journal, is 
given in this connection : 

'"'Realizing that the cannon were their worst foes, the Indian 
sharpshooters had exerted themselves to get Sergeant Jones. 
Every lineal foot of timber along the line of the barricade 
which protected his gun was splintered by a close and iiccurate 
fire. But still the gun was worked and the shells continued 
to fall among the warriors at the shortest possible range. 
McGrew dropped the first shell from the big gun in dangerous 
proximity to the party that Avas swinging around from the 
northeast. Training his gun to the west, he dropped the sec- 



DEFENSK OF I- OUT KIDCLEY 243 

onrl shell exactly .at the point where this jjarty had joined a 
gToup of squaws, ponies and dogs "west of the main Ixtdy. 
helping dogs, shrieking squaws, Availing children and fright- 
ened bucks ran in all directions and sought shelter behind 
every inequality of ground. McGnnv then directed his fire 
between this force and the main body, and succeeded in pre- 
venting a consolidation. The reports of the big gun were as 
demoralizing to the Indians as its frightful execution. In 
the meantime, in front of Jones' position there was a lull in 
the fire and across the space separating the combatants, the 
whites could hear Little Crow exhorting his warriors to take 
courage for the last fierce rush. * * * While the general 
of the Indian forces tried the effect of oratory, Jones arranged 
a very effective counter argument by double shotting his piece 
with canister. Spurred on with the inspiring words of their 
chief, a band of desperate warriors rushed straight toward 
Jones' barricade. 

''The Indian doesn't alw.ays fight Ix'liind trees. Sometimes 
he delivers an assault in the oyxMi as bravely as white troojis. 
* * * On came the painted, yelling warriors, brandishing 
their weapons and leaping madly in their rage and hatred. 
A cloud of smoke l^lched from the black muzzle of the gun, 
a band of flame shot forward and eighteen warriors fell to 
the ground in the agonies of death or gaping wounds. This 
terrible blow completely unmanned the savages. They fell 
back in disorder, pursued by shrieking shells throAvn through 
the flames and smoke of the burning "buildings. The fight was 
over." 

The following description of the wonderful mirage that was 
observed after the battle is by the same writer. 

"Suddenly a strange and weird spectacle caught Lieutenant 
Sheehan's eyes as he glanced up" at the smoky clouds. There 
in the skies occurred a phenemenon that in a more credulous age 
would have been taken as a sign of grace direct from CJod Him- 
self. On the screen of the clouds, as though thrown by some 
great stereopticon, a mirage repeated and revealed the whole 
battle scene. The outline of the fort and the disposition of 
its defenders was clearly shown, with all at their places and 
the guns still throwing shells into the valley where the re- 
treatinc; Indians, as shown by the retreating images in the 



244 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

clouds, -were iii the greatest confusion. Tepees were being 
torn down, goods were being packed on j)onies, papooses were 
strapped to backs and hurried retreat begun, while the sullen 
warriors held back to guard the rear. In their turn the Indians 
could see reflected the confident aspect of all within the fort. 
It cannot be doubted that to their superstitious minds it was 
an unmistakable omen of the wrath of the Great Spirit." 

The news of the outbreak reached Governor Ramsey at St. 
Paul on the nineteenth. He at once communicated with Ex- 
Governor Sibley and requested him to accept the command of 
such forces as could be put into the field against the Indians. 
He immediately accepted the position with the rank of Colonel 
of the ]\Iilitia. A great many troops were at that time mus- 
tered into the United States service .at Fort Snelling expect- 
ing to be sent south. Their destination was changed, and 
Colonel Sibley soon found himself in command of quite a re- 
spectable force. He reached Fort Ridgley on the twenty- 
eighth, or five days after the battle of Xew Ulm. Upon the 
arrival of the government troops, the volunteer organizations 
disbanded .and went home. Two days after his arrival at the 
fort Colonel Sibley dispatched a force of one hundred and 
fifty men, under the command of Major Joseph R. Brown, 
up to the agency to bury the dead and bring in such infor- 
mation regarding the movements of the Indians as he could 
obtain. 

This expedition left the fort on the thirty-first of August, 
and on arriving at the .agency found the buildings all de- 
stroyed. Then they went through the Indian settlement, vis- 
ited the home of Little Crow and of other Indians, .and made 
a general reconnoissance of the vicinity in that locality, but 
saw no signs of Indians. On the evening of the second day, 
which was the first of September, they M'ent into camp near 
the head of a ravine known as Birch Coulee. IvTot having 
seen any Indians or any signs of any, they were heedless of 



HIKCH COULEE . 245 

danger, and selected their camp more with a view to conveni- 
ence than safety. It would seem that the experience of Cap- 
tain Nfarsh's company in that immediate vicinity only two 
weeks before would have taught them the necessity of extreme 
caution. But such it seems was not the case. Even the usual 
precaution of throwing out pickets w'as neglected. 

The whole party of tired soldiers threw themselves on the 
ground .and slept soundly, regardless of the fact that they 
were in the enemy's ctmntry. From this sleep they were 
rudely awakened about four o'clock the next morning by the 
sharp cracking of hundreds of rifles in the hands of invisible 
foes. It was the same old story of ambush and slaughter, so 
often repeated in the history of the country. As was .after- 
wards ascertained, a large force of Indians had assembled 
with the intention of making a descent on St. Peter, and if 
successful there, of sweeping up through Mankato and the 
Blue Earth Y.alley, and had that morning started down the 
river for that jnirposo, but on seeing Brown's force go into 
camp, changed their plan and determined to cut him off. They 
accordingly waited until after dark, when they quietly sur- 
rounded his camp, and in the early twilight made a furious 
attack. The slaughter was terrible. Twenty-three were killed 
.and forty-five severely, and several more slightly, wounded in 
the first hour and a half. There were ninety horses and these 
were all killed. 

The survivors now succeeded in forming a kind of breast- 
work of the wagons, of which there were seventeen, .and the 
dead horses, which served as a partial protection against the 
deadly fire of the Indians. There were four or five spades and 
shovels with the command, and with these and their sabres 
some of the men succeeded in digging pits or holes in the 
ffround into which thev crawled for shelter. Xo Indians were 
in sight, and yet let any one of the party show himself he 



246 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

was sure to draw the fire of several rifles in lli(> hands of the 
unseen foe. 

In this way the day was passed and the succeeding night, 
and it was not until near noon of the second day that they 
were relieved by Colonel Sibley, who, becoming impatient of 
their delay and alarmed for their safety, started out w^itli the 
main body to meet them. Upon the approach of Colonel Sib- 
ley, the Indians drew off and retreated up the river. It was 
now tAvo weeks since the commencement of the troubles, and 
the Indians were known to have with them between two and 
three hundred prisoners. They had massacred or killed in 
action fully one thousand people. 

The all-important question with Colonel Sibley now was how 
to get possession of the jn-isoners. Having this question upper- 
most in his mind he left on the battle ground of Birch Coulee 
the following communication attached to a stake driven into 
the ground : 

"If Little Ch'ow has any proposition to make let him send a 
half-breed to me and he shall be protected in and out of camp. 

"H. H. Sibley." 

The letter was found and answered by Little Crow on the sev- 
enth, but all mention of the prisoners was evaded, when Colonel 
Sibley sent a second letter ,as follows : 

"Little Crow : You have murdered many of our people with- 
out cause. Return me the prisoners under a flag of truce .and 
I will talk with you then like a man. II. II. Siblkv." 

This was also answered in an evasive and unsatisfactory 
manner, when Sibley sent a third communication stating that 
no peace could be made without a full surrender of the pris- 
oners, an.d charging them, with the commission of nine iimr(l<'rs 
since the receipt of Little Crow's last letter. He informed 
them that he was now stronii' enouii'h to crush anv force thev 



SURRENDER AND RELEASE OF PRISONERS 247 

could briui^- against him, and gave tlicni three days more in 
which to deliver up the prisoners. 

UTpou receipt of this letter a large council was called, at 
Mdiieh nearly all of the annuity Indians were present. The 
council w.as hopelessly divided. One portion was in favor of 
surrendering the prisoners and making the best terms they could. 
The otlicr wore in favor of holding out to the bitter end and 
taking the consequences. One of the leaders of the party fav- 
oring peace and surrender w.as Paul Mazaintemani, one of 
the party sent out by ]\I.ajor Flandrau in 1857 for the rescue 
of Miss Gardner, one of the prisoners taken at the lakes and 
held by the Indians at that time. It was he who warned tlie 
missionaries,' giving them a chance to escape. He was instru- 
mental in preventing the massacre of many of the prisoners, 
and Avas a true friend to the settlers tlirough the entire affair. 

The correspondence with the Indians was kcjit up foi- several 
days, but with no satisfactory results. Deeming further dcdav 
worse than useless, Sibley now determined to move against tlie 
Indians. Accordingly on the eighteenth he broke camii 
at ¥ort liidgley, cmssed the ri\-ei' and starteil in i)ursuit of the 
savages, coming uj) with them on the juorning of the twenty- 
third of September, between Yellow Medicine Kiver and iWood 
Lake. The attack was made at once .and the battle soon be- 
came general, and continued about an hour and a half, when 
the Indians were routed and retreated in confusion. It was 
afterward learned that before the commencement of the action 
Little Crow detailed ten of his best marksmen with orders to 
kill Colonel Sibley at all hazards, but a shell from the howitzer 
exploded in the midst of this special band .and killed a part 
of them and hopelessly demoralized the rest. 

Till- was known as the battle of Wood Lake, and was the first 
action in which the whites met the Indians on anything like 
equal terms. After this figlit Colonel Sibley proc('ede(I up the 



248 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

river and camped oi^posite the mouth of the Chippewa, where it 
empties into the Minnesota. A large force of Indians were 
camped just a short distance away. They were composed of 
both upper and lower Sioux, and had been engaged in all the 
massacres that had taken place, and the desire on the part of 
the troops to attack and punish them was intense, but Colonel 
Sibley kept steadily in view the fact that the rescue of the pris- 
oners was his first duty and he well knew that any demonstra- 
tion of violence just at this time would be followed by the im- 
mediate destruction of the captives. He, therefore, wisely 
overruled all hostile demonstrations. 

The result was a general surrender of the main body, together 
with all the j^risoners. The place where the surrender occur- 
red has since been known as Camp Release, and is situated 
nearly twenty-five miles .above the Upper Agency, and nearly 
seventy miles above Fort Ridgley. Previous to the surrender 
Little Crow, with a few followers, escaped up the 
river. After the safety of the captives was secured then the 
serious question arose, .What should be done with the prisoners ? 
They had murdered men, women and children ruthlessly and 
without cause or provocation, .and to treat them as prisoners of 
war would be simply a burlesque. On the other hand they 
could not be executed like so many wild boasts without some 
kind of trial. 

In this dilemma Colonel Sibley conceived the idea of organiz- 
ing a military tribunal and trying the leaders and those who 
had been most active in the depredations and outrages, by court 
martial. Accordingly, on tlie twenty-eighth of September an 
order was issued convening this extraordinary court. It was 
composed of five officers, and entered at once on the discharge 
of its duties. The first session was at Camp Release, where 
several eases were disposed of. From there it adjourned to 
tlie Lower Agency, and from tlicnce to ^Mankato, and finally 



THK MILITAKY TKIBUNAI. 249 

wuiuul up its work at Fort Suclliui: on I lie tiftli of Xoveiiil>cr, 
diiriug which time it iiiv('sti<iat('(l four Imudrod and twciity- 
tivo casi'S, of \vhi(di iniinlicr tlircc liundi'cd and twenty-one were 
found guihy, and three Imndred and three sentenced to be hung. 
These prisoners were brought from the reservation to Mankato 
chained together and under strong militai'v guard, where thev 
were confined in a hirge log jail built for that sjjecial purpose 
and guarded l)y a strong coinuiaiid of troops. 

While this court martial was in session news of its proceed- 
ings reached the eastern cities and a great outcrv was raised 
that the state of ^linnesota w.as conteniphiting a great outrage 
in the massacre of her Indian ])risoners. Intelligent bodies of 
W(d]-intentioned but ill-infoi'iiied people besieged President Lin- 
coln to put a stop to the proposed executions. The President 
sent for the records of the trials and turned them over to his 
legal advisers. xVs a result of his investigation, the President, 
on the sixth day of December, issued an order designating 
thirty-nine of the ring-leaders .against Avhom the death penalty 
should be enforced, and directed that the balance should be held 
subject to further orders, "taking care that they neither escape, 
nor are subjected to any unlawful violence." 

The President's orders were obeyed. Thirty-eight of the 
murderers were executed by lianging at ^Faid-cato on the twenty- 
sixth of December, 18()2, one having been pardoned by the 
President. The balance of the ]irisoners were kept in confine- 
ment in their log prison until the opening of navigation the 
next spi'iug, when they w<'r<' ]>u-t al)oard of a steamer and sent 
to I)aveu]»ort, fowa. Aftei- being ke|tt in confinement there 
for some time they were phieed on a reservation on the upper 
jVIissoui'i. Wiiether or not this was tlie wisest disposition that 
could have Ix-eu made id' them is an open (pu'sti<ni and one 
upon which tliei-e is a wi<le ilivergence (d' opinion. It is boldly 
asserte(l by those who hav(.' made a ear(d"\d study of the subject 



250 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

and are perfectly familiar with the relations between the In- 
dians and the general government, that nearly if not quite 
all of the trouble the government has had Avith the Dacotahs 
since the liberation of these prisoners has g•ro'\^^l out of the 
evil counsel of these same savages. Judge Fhmdrau remarks: 

''An Indian never forgets an injury, real or fancied, and 
never forgives an enemy, and the advent among the Missouri 
River tribes of this large body of desperadoes, fresh from their 
scenes of murder and carnage, would l)e well calculated to in- 
cite them to acts of similar violence." 

It is well known that many of the s.ame Indians that planned 
and executed the ambush and massacre at the Lower Agency 
and at Birch Coulee were afterwards identified with the force 
that on the twenty-fifth of J\ine, 1870, ambushed and destroyed 
General Custer and his entire command on the Little Big Horn 
in Wyoming. Up to the time of the release^ of these prisoners 
the Indians on the upper Missouri had had but limiterl inter- 
course witli the whites and there is no ddiibt Imt rlic enmity 
and evil counsels of these ]Minnes()ta Indians has nuide the whole 
Indian question vastly harder to solve. 

Judge Flandrau, writing on this sul)ject in 1802, says: 

"It is my opinion that all of the trouljlcs that have trans- 
pired since the liberation of these Indians witli the tribes 
inhabiting the w^estcrn plains and mountains have grown out of 
the evil counsels of these savages. The only proper course to 
have pursued with them wlieii it w;i^ determined not to hang 
them was to have exiled rlicm to sduic remote^ ])ost, say the Dry 
Tortug.as, where communication with their peojde would have 
been impossible, set them to W(U-k on fortifications or other 
public works and liavc allowed thcni to ]iass out by life limita- 
tions." 

It will be remembered that Little Crow escaped after the 
liattlc of Wood Lnke nnd Avas not with the prisoners at Camp 



DEATH OF LITTLE CROW 251 

Release. On the third day of July, 18G3, he ventured in the 
neighborhood of the settlements, and while in a field picking 
l)erries, was seen by a farmer wlio recognized him and shot 
him dead on the spot. His scalp is held by the State Historical 
Society of Minnesota. The state of Minnesota has recently 
erected monuments at Fort Ridgley, jSTew Ulm, Birch Coulee 
and Camp Release. 



CHAPTER XX. 

EVENTS IN IOWA THE MASSACRE ALONG THE DES 

MOINES THE RELIEF PARTY APPEAL FOR GOV- 
ERNMENT PROTECTION THE SIOUX CITY CAVALRY 

THE WEEK AT THE OLD COURTHOUSE BUILD- 
ING THE STOCKADE DISASTROUS EFFECT ON THE 

SETTLEMENT MANY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS 

LEAVE MORE PARTICULARS OF THE SIOUX CITY 

CAVALRY. 




HILE" THE events related in the preceding chapter were 
being enacted on the Minnesota frontier, other events 
of similar character hnt on a smaller scale were trans- 
piring nearer home. On the morning of the twenty- 
ninth of August, 1862, a JSTorwegian bv the name of Nelson 
came into Spirit Lake with two children that he had carried in 
his arms from his home on the Des Moines River, some six 
miles above Jackson. The population on the Des Moines above . 
Jackson at that time were exclusively Xorwegians, and wliile 
they were sturdy and courageous and developed into the very 
best of soldiers after a reasonable amount of drill and experi- 
ence, they .at first had an almost superstitious fear of the In- 
dians, while the Indians entertained the utmost contempt and 
hatred for them. A large majority of the victims of this mas- 
sacre were Norwegians, as they had settled on the western bor- 
der of Minnesota during the last few years in large numbers. 
From Nelson's .account it appears that the inhabitants along 
the river had been apprised of the ti'oublcs at the agencies, and 
becoming alarmed by the reports had called a public meeting 
to consider the situation, and, if possible, devise means of de- 
fense. This was on the evening of the twenty-eighth 



EVENTS IN IOWA 253 

u»f Augiust. Xelsoii attended this meeting, leaving his 
family at home in his cabin. Upon his return home he found 
the family all killed except the two childi'eii lielore nK'ntimied, 
and they had been taken up bv the heels and their heads knocked 
against the corner of the cabin and they were left for dead 
on the ground. One of the children .afterwards died but the 
other recovered. 

A party of volunteers was immediately organized and pro- 
ceeded to the Des Moines, where they made a hasty reconnois- 
s.ancc and returned to the lakes on the evening of the same day. 
\ \)i\vty of refugees from the river came part of the way over 
and concealed themselves in a ravine over night. 

The next day a larger and better equipped party went over. 
Upon arriving at the river they met a small force from Esther- 
ville who were on the same errand as themselves. The two par- 
ties consolidated and together they proceeded to investigate the 
situation. They found that the Indians had struck the river at 
a point about four miles above Jackson and followed it up, mur- 
dering and destroying everything as they went. At one place 
one of the relief party heard an unusual noise, something re- 
sembling a groan, and after hunting around for a while found 
in the manger of an out-of-the-way stable, a boy about fourteen 
years old, who had been both shot and stabbt^l l>y the Indians 
.and left for dead, but had so far recovered consciousness as to be 
able to drag himself to the old stable where he was found. He 
was taken care of by the relief party and eventually recovered. 

They continued their march u|) the river. It was evident that 
all of the cabins along the rivin* had l>een visited and depreda- 
tions committed. The number of victims along the Des ^foines 
was not so great as it would have been but for the fact that they 
had been warned of danger and many had left the settlement 
for the d.anger to subside. Others had conceale<l themselves in 
the woods and ravines and made their escape. The relief party 



254 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

followed lip the river about fifteen or twenty miles where they 
camped for the night. At this point they found a cabin where 
two or three families had joined their forces and barricaded the 
house and beat off their enemies. The Indians had kept them 
in a state of siege for fully forty-eight hours. They were con- 
cealed in the ravines and thick l)rush that grew about the house, 
and every little while they would fire from their cover at the 
door .and windows of the cabin and any other point they con- 
sidered vulnerable. The settlers in turn would fire from the 
portholes they had made in the cabin. 

The guide they had in firing was to fire at the cloud of smoke 
made by the discharge of the Indians' guns, as they kept them- 
selves concealed in the brush and ravines. This kind of skir- 
mishing had been kept up for two days. The last Indian seen 
there, and the last gun fired, was about sunrise in the morning 
of the day on which the volunteers reached there in the even- 
ing, much to the relief of the besieged party. N"o one had been 
killed on either side. This was the only place on the Des 
Moines River where any resistance w.as made. There was no 
settlement above this point, .and it was useless to continue 
the journey farther. The party went into camp about sundown 
and in the morning started back on their return trip, reaching 
the lakes on the evening of the same day. The total number 
of bodies found and buried by them was about fifteen. 

The excitement which followed this affair was intense. The 
Mdiolc line of frontier settlements from Mankato to Sioux City 
was abandoned, except Esthcrville and Spirit Lake, which, by 
the w,ay, were the most exposed points on the whole line, being 
nearer the points infested by the Indians and farther from as- 
sistance. When the magnitude and extent of the Minnesota 
Massacre came to be knowm and realized, the people here began 
to have simc apiirociation of the nature and extent of the 
danger to which they had exposed themselves, and wliicdi they 



RAID ON THK DES MOINES RIVER 255 

had a})i)nivntlv do tied. A short time before they had rested 
in apparent and fancied sccnrity. Xow the wonder was that 
this setth'iiicur was not wiped out with the rest, ami tliey re- 
alized for the tirst time how helj^lcss and defenseh'ss wonhl 
have been their situation had an attack been made. 

Efforts were at once made to secure government protection. 
Either this must be done or the entire line abandoned. The 
general government was not in position to do mueli for the 
frontier. They had just come to a realizing sense of the magni- 
tude of the job they had undertaken in attempting to crush the 
relKdlion. The delays and disasters that had attended the op- 
eration of the Army of the Potomac were having a terribly de- 
pressing effect on public sentiment, and the results were any- 
thing but satisfactory. 

This state of affairs was not very favorable to securing help, 
as every available man was needed at the front. The company 
heretofore referred to, known at that time as the Sioux City 
Cavalry, was detailed for service on the frontier. ]Srow, Avhen 
it is remembered that the frontier line in Iowa is over one 
hundred and twenty miles in length it will readily be seen that 
,a company of but one hundred men would be very inadequate 
for the purposes of scouting, to say nothing of looking after 
frontier defenses. 

This company was divided into squads and sent t<3 different 
points along the border. The one assigned to Spirit Lake ar- 
rived on the evening of the day on which the volunteer yiarty 
returned from their ti'ip up the Des Moines Iii\-('r. This de- 
tachment consisted of about thirty men under command of 
Lieutenant Cassady, and was divided into three parts and sta- 
tioned at Spirit Lake, Estherville and Okoboji. the Esther- 
ville squad being in ch.arge of Sergeant Samuel AVade, the 
Spirit Lake s(|uad in eliarge of Sergeant A. K ini:in;iii .iml the 
one fnr Okuboji beini:' in charge of Corpoi-al (J. Rubbins. 

1 



256 



DICKINSON COUiNTY - IOWA 




From an "M iiliotojjraph in possession of Mrs. J. L. liavis. 
THE OLD COURTHOUSE. 

Immediately after hearing of the attack on the settlements 
on the Des Moines River and before the arrival of the detach- 
ment of United States troops nnder Lieutenant Cassadv, the 
settlers gathered .at the old courthonse as being the point h^ast 
liable to attack and the easiest defended of any place aljont the 
lakes. Messengers had been sent ont in all directions warning 
the settlers of their danger, and advised them to gather at some 
central point for mutnal protection. The conrthouse was the 
place selected. Here they established a kind of encami)ment 
and awaited resnlts. This w.as the same day that the first party 
of scouts left for tlieir trip to the Des Moines. Scenting par- 
ties were sent out in every direction, but no Indians were 
seen nor were there any Indian signs discovered. There were 
somewhere from twenty-five to forty families represented in 
the encampment. Taking out tlie two parties of scouts that 
went over to the Des Moines, there were not many able-bodied 
men left. The scouting about the lakes was done by men 
who had trapj^ed over every foot of the ground and knew it 
thoroughly. It wonld be useless to give a list of names of 



THE WEEK AT THE COURTHOUSE 257 

those who took the direction of .affairs, as there was no regular 
organization and each one acted on his own judgment. Of 
course at that time all were in perfect ignorance of the na- 
ture and extent of the' outbreak and were at a loss to know what 
course to pursue. All they could do was to keep a sharp look- 
out and await developments. 

During the week's sojourn at the old courthouse many in- 
cidents occurred, some of them heartrending and pathetic, 
and others decidedly absurd and ridiculous. Could those in- 
cidents have been preserved and properly written up, they 
would have formed a chapter at once instructive, interesting 
and amusing. The innate selfishness of human nature cropped 
out where least expected. As is usually the case, those who 
exhibited the most bravado and were the loudest in exploiting 
their courage were the first to look out for their personal 
safety, and the last to volunteer when scouts were needed. But 
human nature is liiininn nature the Avorld over, and if there 
is anvrliing mean or seltisli in a ])ers(»u's maken]» ir is Ixmnd 
to come to the surface in times like this. 

Of course the meji could stand it all right enough. 'JMiey 
w^ere used to roughing it. Most any of them could lie down <jn 
the prairie wdiere night overtook them and sleep as soundly 
and swwtly as though on a couch of luxury. But the W(unen 
and children, that Avas different. The provisions were scant 
and of the plainest kind. There were no conveniences for 
cooking and everything had to be cooked over a campfire. 
Some member of each family had to make .a trip to the claim 
every day for provisions, and some didn't find much when 
they reached there, as this was a season of general scarcity. 
As to the old courthouse, the walls were up and the roof on 
and the floors partly laid, and the joists in place for the rest, 
wdiich were soon covered by the loose lumber there. The 
stairs were not up, but a plank walk with cleats spiked across 



258 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

]iad been Ijiiilt for the workmen to carry nniterial to the upper 
story and roof, and this was utilized by those who lived in 
the upper story. The sleeping arrangements were few and 
simple. A bunch of hay and a few blankets in a retired cor- 
ner were about all of the sleeping accommodations the best 
could boast. 

Of course sentries were posted every night. The men took 
their two hours on and four off without complaint, .and in 
fact there were so few of them that at first they came on every 
night, l)ut after the third or fourth night they were relieved 
of that duty by the ari'ival of the soldiers, many of whom had 
families here. It is difficult to write out in words the vicis- 
situdes of that memorable -week, but those Avho experienced it 
will always have a vivid recollection of the week at the court- 
house. * 

Soon after the arrival of Lieutenant Cassady with his de- 
tachment of the Sioux City Cavalry, it Avas arranged that the 
settlers should go back to their places, ,and the soldiers should 
adopt a system of scouting such as would preclude the possi- 
bility of any considerable body of Indians coming in without 
being discovered. In addition to this, it was decided to erect 
a stockade about the courthouse, and to regard it as .a kind 
of general rendezvous or headquarters where the settlers could 
gather in case of further trouble. Prescott's mill in the Oko- 
boji Grove was in running order at that time, and quite a 
nundx'r of sawlogs Avere lying in the yard ready to be cut into 
lumber. The mill was taken possession of and the logs rolled 
in and cnt into planks. These planks were twelve feet long 
and from four ot five inches thick. A trench was dug from 
twelve to twenty feet from the walls of the courthouse and 
about three feet deep. The planks were set on end in this 
trench and strengthened by pinning a piece along the top. 
Portlioles were cut in the ))ro]i('i' jilaces in the stockade, and 



MANY SETTLERS LEAVE 259 

on the whole it \va> put in ])r('try good eoiiditioii for defense. 
It was wliilo this work was in |tro<>'ress tliat Lieutenant Cas- 
sachiy and liis sohlicrs arriveil, ami tlioy assisted in complet- 
ing it, and when the settlers went l)a('k to their claims the 
soldiers remained in possession ami established headquarters 
there. This was in August, 1862. The courthouse remained 
a military post in possession of United States troops until 
July, 1865. 

The inhabitants mi>vod liack to their claims, many of them, 
however, but temporarily. !Many who had been here from two 
to five years and had endured M-ithout ,a murmur their full 
share of the hardships and privations incident thereto, 
thought they could see nothing better in the near future, and 
therefore abandoned what they had or sold it for a mere nomi- 
nal sum. It was at this time that B. F. Parmenter traded his 
house and the half block near where the Presbyterian Church 
now stands to Ethel Ellis for a hundred ratskins. 

The ])ro]irietors of the town site of Spirit Lake abandoned 
it and it lay vacant for years, when it was taken and proved 
up as a private claim. One-half of it was taken by Henry 
Barkman, one fractional forty by Giese Blackert and the re- 
maining three forties by Joseph Currier, who afterwards sold 
it to a ^fr. Peck, of Minnesota. .This tract was afterwards 
])urchased by ^fr. J. S. Polk, of Des ^foines, and is now 
known .as. the Union Land Company's addition to Sjnrit 
Lake. • ^Fr. Barkman subsequently made a resurvey of his 
portion and laid out the town of Spirit Lake according t""* its 
])resent plat ami l)oundaries. 

Doctor Prescott, proprietor of the Okoboji town site, sold 
out for a mere song and moved to Winnebago County, Illinois. 
O. C. IIowc took his family back to Newton, after which 
he enlisted in the army and was aiipointed Ca])tain of Com- 
pany L, Xinth Towa Cavalry; B. F. Parmenter and P. V. 



260 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Wheelock moved to Boonesboro, William Barkman M'ent hack 
to XeAvton, 11. Kingman, after selling the Lake View House 
to Jo Thomas, went to Floyd County in this state, and 
subsequently to the Black Hills ; A. D. Arthur, J. D. Howe 
and C. Carpenter went to Webster City_, Leonidas Conglcton 
and Philip Risling went to Yankton, Dakota, and several 
others who had been more or less active in county matters 
up to this time decided they had had enough of pioneering 
and liade good-bye to the frontier. Property of all kinds 
that could not be moved became valueless. 

Of the soldiers, many who enlisted from this county in 18G1 
had their families and intended leaving them here for a while 
at least, but after this outbreak most of them moved their 
families away. Some of them returned after the close of the 
war, and others remained away permanently. Of course, a 
soldier's claim, whether by preemption or homestead, could 
not be disturbed while he was in the service, and he had six 
months to get on it after his discharge. 

U}) to this time the only two military organizations that 
had figured in the defense of the frontier were Captain Mar- 
tin's company of state troops, whose service in 1858 and 1859 
w.as- noticed in its proper place, and the Sioux City Cavalry, 
under the command of Captain A. J. Millard. As this com- 
pany was more intimately connected witli the defense of the 
frontier than any other, and as many of its members enlisted 
from this county, it is deserving of more special mention. As be- 
fore noticed, it was organized in Sioux City in the fall of 1801. 
A. J. Millard, Captain ; James A. Sawyer, First Lieutenant ; 
J. T. Copeland, Second Lieutenant, and S. H. Cassady, Or- 
derly Sergeant. In the -summer of 1862 Lieutenant Sawyer 
resigned to take command of the Northern Border Brigade, 
when Copeland was promoted to be First Lieutenant and Cas- 
sadv to be Second Lieutenant. The non-commissioned officers 



MOUE I'AKTICULAKS OF THH SIOUX CITY ( AVAl.KV 2(il 

were Samuel Wado, Orderly; A. Kiuiiiuan, First Serg'oant ; 
A. .Marshall, Second Sergeant; J. W. Stevens, Third Ser- 
geant; J. W. l^evins, Fourth Sergeant and J. H. ]\r(n-f. Fifth 
Sergeant; G. 'AV. Tx'baurour, Fii*st Corporal; .1. 11. S<'liunenian, 
Second Corporal; G. W. Robbins, Third Corporal; Archihald 
^[urray, Fourth Corporal ; Thomas G. White, Fifth Corporal ; 
Thomas McElhany, Sixth Corporal ; ^L B. ,Winterringer, 
Seventh Coi*poral; John J. Schlawig, Bugler; Fred liorsch. 
Assistant Bugler; William Godfrey, Saddler; X. W. Pratt, 
Farrier; J. C. Furber, Wag(mer; M. J. Smith, Quart-.'rmas- 
ter Sergeant. The names of those enlisting in tluit company 
from this county have heretofore been given. The detach- 
ment of which they formed a part was ke])t here the greater 
part of the time from the time of their enlistment to the 
spring of 18G3, when they were detailed for service at Gen- 
eral Sully's headquarters in his expedition up the Missouri 
that summer. Judge A. E.. Fulton in his interesting *book, 
"The Red Men of Iowa," pays the following high tribute to 
this company. 

^'Tn this connection it is proper to notice more particularly 
the military organization usder Captain A. J. Millard, known 
as the Sioux City Cavalry and the services it rendered in 
])rotecting the western frontier from the depredations of tlie 
Indians. It w.as a company enlisted in pursuance of a special 
order of the Secretary of -'War and operated as an independent 
organization from the fall of 18G1 to the s])ring of I860. The 
company was recruited from citizens, most of whom were heads 
of families residing at Sioux City and the settlements along 
the Floyd and Little Sioux Rivers up to Spirit Lake. While 
acting as an independent organization, they w<'re gener.ally 
stationed in squads in the principal s(»ttlements, including 
ihose at Correctionville, Cherokee, Peterson and S]iirit Lake. 
Their valuable and ar<luous services doubtless contributed 
largely to securing to the people of northwestern Iowa im- 
munity from danger during the perilous summer of 18()2, 
wlicii more lliaii ciizlit liinidreil persons were massacred liv the 



262 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Indians in Minnesota. In the spring of 1863 the Sioux City 
(^avalrj were ordered to rendezvous in Sioux Citv preparatory 
to joining an expedition under General Sully against the In- 
dians in which they were detailed as the bodyguard of the 
General. 

"On the third of September, 1863, they parti('i}»ate(l in the 
battle of White Stone Hill and distinguished themselves by 
taking one hundred and thirty-six prisoners. After this bat- 
tle they were consolidated Avith the Seventh Iowa Cavalry as 
Company I. On returning to Sioux City, Captain Millard 
commanding the company was assigned by General Sully to 
the command of a sub-district embracing northwestern Iowa 
and eastern Dakota, with headquarters at Sioux City. On the 
twenty-second of ISTovember, 1861:, their term of enlistment 
having expired, they were mustered out of service. 

"Referring to this comjjany. General Sully expresses the fol- 
lowing high compliment: 'A better drilled or disciplined 
company than the Sioux City Cavalry cannot be f(mnd in the 
reo'nlar or volunteer service of the United States.' " 



p 



CIIAPTEJ; XXT. 

GOVERNOR KIHKWOOI) TAKES DEKP INTEREST IX 

FRONTIER MATTERS SENDS COLONEL INGHAM TO 

THE FRONTIER HIS REPORT THE LEGISLATURE 

CALLED IN SPECIAL SESSION THE FIRST BILL 

PASSED I'lJOVIDKS FOR THE NORTHERN BORDER 
BRIGADE JOINT RESOLUTION ASKING GOVERN- 
MENT PROTECTION ORGANIZATION OF THE 

NORTHERN BORDER BRIGADE COLONEL SAWYER 

PLACED IN COMMAND — -GOVERNOR KIRKWOOD AP- 
POINTS HONORABLE GEORGE L. DAVENPORT TO 
COLLECT INFORMATION HIS REPORT SPECULA- 
TIONS AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE OUTBREAK 

OPINIONS BY HONORABLE GEORGE L. DAVENPORT 

GENERAL SULLY JUDGE FLANDRAU AND 

OTHERS. 

REVTOUS to tlu" >rinii<?sota outbreak Governor Kirk- 
W(Mi(l hill] issued a call ediiveiiiiiii' tlie Towa lciii>lainre 
in special session for the ])urpose of niakinji: provisions 
for ]»lacin,ii' Towa's qnota of troo])s under tlie last call of 
the President, and it was dnrino- the interval hetwccn this' call 
and the time of tlie nieetin<>" of the leiiislalnrc that tlic ti-ou- 
bles in ^Finnesota occurred. The Governor at tdicc realized 
the necessity of increasing the frontier defenses, and in order 
ihat he might have as full and clear an understanding of the 
matter as possible, on the twentv-ninth <tf .\ngust. without 
waitiuff for the meeting of the legislature lie liad sniiininned. 
he appoint('<l S. TJ. Tngham, of Des ^foines, special agent, 
witli instructidus \i> pmcood at once to tlie fr(»nti<'r and make 



264 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

a thorough inA^estigation of the situation and report to him as 

soon as practicable. 

"August 29, 1862. 
"S. R. Ingham^ Esq. 

''Sir: I am informed there is probable danger of an attack 
by hostile Indians on the inhabitants of the northwestern 
portion of our state. Arms and powder will be sent you at 
Eort Dodge. Lead and caps will be sent with you. I hand 
you an order on the Auditor of State for one thousand dollars. 

"You will proceed at once to Fort Dodge, and to such 
other points there as you may deem proper. Use the arms, 
ammunition and money placed at your disposal in such man- 
ner as your judgment may dictate as best to promote the ob- 
ject in view, to-wit : the iDrotection of the inhabitants of the 
frontier. It would be well to communicate witli Captain 
Millard commanding the company of mounted men raised for 
United States service at Sioux City. * * * XJse your dis- 
cretion in all things and exercise any power I could exercise 
if I were present according to your best discretion. 

"Please report to me in writing. 

"Very respectfully your obedient servant, 

"Samuel J. Kirkwood." 

Colonel Ingham at once proceeded to make a tour of the 
frontier settlements and reported the result of his investiga- 
tions to Governor Kirkwood. His re]iort is too lengthy to 
be reproduced in full, but a few extracts from it are given 
herewith. 

"To His Excellency, S. J. Tvirkwood, Governor of Iowa: 
I have the honor to report that in compliance with your in- 
structions I at once proceeded to the northern border of our 
state to ascertain the extent of the supposed difficulties and 
do the needful for the protection of our frontier settlements 
should circumstances warrant or demand. I visited Dickin- 
son, Emmet, Palo Alto, iTumlioldt, Kossuth and Webster 
Counties. Found many of the inhabitants in a high state of 
excitement and laboring under constant fear of an attack by 
Indians. Quite a number of families were leaving their homes 
and moving into the more thickly settled portions of the state. 



COL. INGHAM SENT TO THK FRONTIER 2C5 

"This fci'ling-, however, soomed to be more intense and to 
run hiiiher in the more inUmd and remote connties from the 
border th:in in tlic border eonnties themselves. In Emmet 
and Kossntli, botli border eonnties, I had the settlers called 
together in order th.at I might learn from them their views 
and wislies as to what ought to be done for their safety, or 
rather what was necessary to satisfy and qniet their fears and 
apprehensions. They s.aid. all they wanted or deemed neces- 
sary for the protection of the northern frontier was a small 
force of mounted men stationed on the east and west forks 
of the Des Moines River to act in concert witli tlie United 
States troops then stationed at Spirit Lake, but th.at this force 
must be made up of men such as could l)e chosen from amongst 
themselves, M'ho were familiar with tlie country and had been 
engaged in hunting and trapping for years .and were more or 
less familiar with tlie liabits and customs of the Indians, one 
of which men would be worth half a dozen such as the state had 
sent there on one or two former occasions. In a small force 
of this kind they would have confidence, but would not feel 
safe with a much larger force of young and inexperienced 
men such as are usually raised in the more central portions 
of the state. I at once authorized a company to be raised in 
Emmet, Kossuth, Humboldt and Palo Alto Counties. Within 
five days forty men were enlisted, held their election for ofii- 
cers, were mustered in, furnished witli arms and ammunition 
and placed on duty. I antliorized them to fill u]) the com- 
pany to eighty men if necessity should demand such an addi- 
tion to the force. 

"At Spirit Lake, in Diekinson County, I found some forty 
men stationed imder command of Lieutenant Sawyers of Cap- 
tain ^lillard's Company of Sioux City Cavalry in the Ignited 
States service. From the I>est information I could obtain, T 
deemed this a sufficient force and therefore took no action to 
increase the protection at this point further than to furnish 
the settlers with thirty stands of arms and a small amount 
of ammunition, for -which I took a bond as hereinafter stated." 

Here follows tlie details of taking bonds and distributing 
arms and ammunition which are too lengthy and not of suf- 
ficient iinj)(»rtance for repetition. Tlie re|)ort (doses as fol- 
lows: 



266 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

"Having done all that seemed necessary for the protection 
of the settlers of the more exposed of the northern border conn- 
ties, I returned to Fort Dodge on the eighth d.ay of Septem- 
ber, intending to proceed at once to Sioux City and make all 
necessary arrangements for the protection of the settlements 
■on the northwestern border. At that point I was informed 
that the legislature, then in extra session, had passed a bill 
providing for the raising of troops for the protection of our 
borders against hostile Indians. I therefore deemed it best 
to report myself to you for further instructions, which I did 
on the tenth of September." 

The legislature convened in pursuance of the governor's 
call and the first measure passed was "A bill for an act to pro- 
vide for the protection of the northwestern frontier of Iowa 
from hostile Indians." The first section of the bill is as fol- 
lows: 

"Sectiois: 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of ilte 
State of Iowa: That the governor of the state of Iowa be and 
is hereby authorized and required to raise a volunteer force in 
the state of Iowa from the counties most convenient to the 
northwestern border of said state of not less than five hundred 
mounted men, .and such other force as may be deemed neces- 
sary, to be mustered into service by a person to be appointed 
by the governor at such place as he may designate, to be sta- 
tioned at various points in the northwestern counties of said 
state in such numbers in a body as he m.ay deem best, for the 
protection of that portion of the state from hostile Indians at 
the earliest practicable moment." 

The balance of the bill i-elates to the enlisting, mustering 
in and equipping and ai-ming the force thus created. This 
bill was introduced, run the gauntlet of the committees, 
passed both houses and was signed by the governor inside of 
five days, which, considering its magnitude and importance, 
was remarkably quick work. While the above bill w,as pend- 
ing, the legislature also passed a joint resolution asking aid 
from the general government, of Avhich the following is the 
preamble : 



LEGISLATION FOR THE NORTHERN BORDER BRIGADE 267 

"WiiKRKAs. for several moiitlis past the Indians residinir 
.along the northwestern lines of the state of Iowa, in ^linne- 
sota and Dakota, and in the country in that vicinity have ex- 
hibited strong- evidence of hostility to the border settlers and 
have committed depredations npon the property of these set- 
tlers, and have finally broken out into open hostility, not only 
committing gross acts of plunder, but have committed the 
most cruel barbarities upon the defenseless citizens residing 
in the southern and southwestern border of Minnesota, mur- 
dering with unparalleled cruelty a large number of these citi- 
zens and their families in the immediate vicinity of our state, 
burning their houses and destroying their projx^rty ; and, 

"AVhkukas^ it is believed from the general uprising of these 
Indians and the great extent of their depredations and from 
various circumstances relating thereto that they are incited 
to these acts of cruelty by evil disposed whites from our ene- 
mies and that a gen(U*al Indian war is impending, and, 

"WirERp:AS^ the jx^ople .along the borders of Iowa and Min- 
nesota are deserting their homes and fleeing to places of safety 
in the interior of the state and entirely abandoning their 
homes and property for places of safety, therefore. Resolved, 
by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa," etc. 

The resolution was an earnest apj^eal to the general govern- 
ment for inmiediate assistance. This bill and resolution were 
approved by the Governor on the ninth of September, and 
Colonel Ingham reported to the Governor the n<'xt day. 

The Governor immediately issued General Orders Xo. 1, to- 
gether with the following additional instructions, to Colonel 
Ingham : 

"Executive Office, Iowa. 

''Des Moines, September 13, 18G2. 

"S. R. Ingham, Esq. Sir: You are intrusted with the or- 
ganization of the forces ju'ovided by law for the defense of the 
northwestern frontier, and with furnishing them with sub- 
sistence and forage during and after their organization, also 
with the j)osting of the troo])s raised at such points as are best 
calculated to effect the object ])ro)>osed until the election of 
the officer who will command the entii-e force and generally with 
the execution of the orders issiunl of this date in connection 
with this force. It is impossible to foresee the contingencies 
that may arise rendering necessary a change in these orders 



268 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

or tile prompt exercise of powers not therein contained, and 
delay for the purpose of consulting me might result disastrous- 
ly. In order to avoid these results as far as possible, I hereby 
confer upon you all I myself have in this regard. You may 
change, alter, modify or add to the orders named a? in your 
sound discretion you may deem best. You may make such 
other and further orders as the exigencies of the case may, in 
your judgment, render necessary. In short, you may do all 
things necessary for the protection of the frontier as fully as 
I could do if I were personally present, and did the same. 
The first object is the security of the frontier ; the second, 
that this object be effected as economically .as is consistent with 
its prompt and certain attainment. * * * 

''Very respectfully your obedient servant, 

"Samuel J. Kirkwood." 

The following extract from General Orders ISTo. 1 will ex- 
plain the manner of raising and organizing the force. 

"First. The number of companies that will be received for 
service under the act to provide for the protection of the 
northwestern frontier of Iowa from the hostile Indians, passed 
at the extra session of 1862, and the acts amendatory thereto 
is as follows, viz : One to be raised at Sioux City, one at Deni- 
son, Crawford County, one at Fort Dodge, one at Webster 
City, and one now stationed at Chain Lakes and Estherville. 

^'Second. These companies sliall contain not less than forty 
nor more than eighty men each. They will elect the company 
officers allowed and in tlie manner ])res{'ril)('(l ly hiw. As 
soon as company elections arc held, certihcates of the result 
must be sent to the Adjutant General for commissions. After 
being mustered and sworn in they will proceed, on a day to 
be fixed by S. R. Ingham, to vote .at their several places of 
rendezvous l)y ballot for a Lieutenant Colonel to command the 
'»sdiole. ■" " " The highest number of votes cast for any 
one candidate shall elect. 

"Fourth. The points at wliicli tlic troops will b-.' stationed 
will in the first place l>e fixed by ]\lr. Iiiiihani and aft:T\vards 
In Ihe Lieutenant Colonel elect. "' "" " 

"Seventjii. Each man will be required to furnish his own 
horse and equipments. Subsistence and forage will be fur- 
nished by the state. The sam^ pay will be allowed for this 
service as is now allowed for like service by the United States. 
"Samuel J. Kirk woon^ Governor of Iowa." 



COL. Ingham's second report 269 

We will now give extracts from Colonel Tnirliani'-s ?econfl re- 
port to Governor Kirkwood. 

"In pursuance of these orders and instructions, I proceeded 
to Fort Dodge and mustered and s\vore into the service of the 
state for nine months, unless S(X>ner discharged, the company 
raised at that place, first inspecting the horses and equip- 
ments and having them appraised. I then proceeded with 
due dispatch to Webster City, Denison and Sioux City, and in 
like manner mustered in the companies raised at those 
places. * * "' These four companies, and the one that 
had previously been stationed at Chain Lakes and Estherville, 
were all that were authorized under your General Orders and 
mustered in all about two hundred and fifty men, rank and 
file. As each of the companies were sworn in, marching 
orders were at once given to the commanding officers and such 
other orders as seemed advisable for the purpose of carrying 
out the objects in view, as expressed in your orders and in- 
structions. One company was stationed at Chain Lakes, one 
at Estherville, and portions of companies at each of the fol- 
lowing points, to-wit : Ocheyedan, Peterson, Cherokee, Ida, 
Sac City, Correctionville, West Fork, Little Sioux and ^fel- 
bourne, thus forming in conjunction with the portion of Cap- 
tain Millard's company stationed at Sioux City and Spirit 
Lake, a complete line of communication between Chain Lakes 
and Sioux City. 

"After consulting the fe<:'lings and wishes of the settlers 
along the line, and after a careful survey of the ground it 
was determined to erect blockhouses and stockades at the fol- 
lowing points, to-wit: Correctionville, Cherokee, Peterson, 
Estherville and Chain Lakes. At Spirit Lake a stockade had 
already been built around the courthou.so' by Lieutenant Saw- 
yers. The courthouse being constructed of brick, uuide a 
work of a very jiermanent .and durable characrci-. Tn making 
these locations T was, of course, governed in a great detrree 
by the desires and wishes of the settlers at the expense of what 
might be regarded by military men as a proper location in a 
strict military point of view. Tn conceding these points to 
Ihem, T assumed that inasmuch as the state was constructing 
the works solely for their u.se and benefit, if the settlers them- 
selves were satisfied, certainly the state would be. M the 
points above indicated are the principal .settlements on our 



270 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

extreme northwestern border and they are the onlv ones at 
which it Avas necessary to construct works as contemplated 
in your orders." 

Then foUows the details of building the stockades and fur- 
nishing supplies which are too lengthy for reproduction here. 
Further on he continues: 

''In accordance with your orders, I fixed Friday, the seventh 
of jSTovember, as the day on which the several companies should 
hold ,an election for Lieutenant Colonel to command the whole. 
At the election so held, James A. Sawyers, First Lieutenant of 
Captain Millard's company, was chosen. And permit me to 
say that an excellent selection was made. In my opinion no 
better man could have been found for this service." * * * 

In addition to the active efforts made by the Governor and 
legislature in providing an armed force for the protection of 
the frontier settlements, Governor KirkAvood made special 
efforts to obtain the most reliable information possible as to 
the strength of the hostile Indians, their number, equipment 
and everything possible connected with their movements. T(; 
that end he dispatched Hbnorable George L. Davenport, a man 
well informed in all matters connected with the northwestern 
Indians, to proceed at once to Minnesota, and through the 
.agencies and authorities there, to gain all the information pos- 
sible and report at once. Below are given extracts from his 
report. 

"To His Excellency, Governor Kirkwood. Dear Sir : I 
proceeded to Burlington and delivered your communication 
to Honorable J. W. Grimes, and in consultation with him he 
advised me to proceed at once -to Minnesota and ascertain the 
extent of the Indian outbreak. He gave me letters of intro- 
duction to His Exccllencv, Governor Ramsey, and to Honorable 
Commissioner Dole. Upon my arrival at St. Paul, I called on 
Governor Riamsey, who gave me all of the information in his 
power. lie informed me that the outbreak witli tlic Sioux is 
of the most serious character, .and the massacre of the men, 
women and children of the frontier settlements the largest 



INVESTIGATION BY HON. GEO. L. DAVENPOKT 271 

known in the history of the country. Over six hundrod are 
known to 1k^ killed and over one Inindred women and children 
are in the hands of the sava^vs as prisoners. Tlie Indians are 
very Iwld and defiant, repciitedly attacking the forts and 
troops sent out against them. They have plundered many stores 
and farm houses and have driven off a very large number of 
cattle and horses. The Indians continue to attack the settle- 
ments almost every week, keeping up a constant alarm among 
the people. It is estimated that over five thousand persons 
have left their homes and all of their ])ropci-ry, causing im- 
mense loss and suffering." 

Then follows the details of arrangements made by Gov- 
ernor Ramsey for the protection of the ^finnesota frontier. 
The report of his Minnesota tour closes as follows: 

''I am much alarmed in regard to the safety of the settle- 
ment on the northwestern Ixirder of our state. I think they 
are in imminent danger of an attack at any moment, and will 
1k^ in constant alarm and danger during the coming winter. As 
the Indians are driven! back from the eastern part of ^linne- 
sota they will fall back towards the ^lissouri slope and will 
make inroads upon our settlements for supplies of food and 
plunder. They are much exposed to attacks from ]iarties of 
Sioux passing from the Missouri River to ^finui'sota. " * * 

"Yours respectfully, 

"Gkoroe L. Davenport. 

"Davenport, Iowa, September 17, 1862." 

After ^fr. Davenport's return fnnu liis Aliunesota trip, 
Governor Ivirkwood sent him west on a tour tlirough Nebraska 
'4\nd Dakota. The result of his observations and investiga- 
tions on this tfip were to the effect that the strength of the 
Indian forces and tlic number of warrioi-s they could place in 
the fichi had liccn largxdy overestimated. After giving the 
location afid estimated strength of several bands on the ^fis- 
souri River, and detailing the measures there taken for de- 
fense, he (doses that part of his r<'port as follows: 

"Thev have erected forts or l)lockhous<'s at Yankton, the 
seat of government, at Elkhorn and \'eniiiliiin Rivers, 



272 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

in which are .a small force of volunteers, and Avith the troops 
your excellency has stationed between Sioux City and Spirit 
Lake, along the northern part of this state, our citizens need 
not apjjrehend any danger from the Indians on that or any 
other part of our frontier," * 

In discussing the causes that led to the outbreak he closes 
as follows : 

"I am of the opinion the cause of dissatisfaction among 
many of the tribes of Indians is caused mainly by the 
general government paying the annuities to the Indians in 
goods instead of money. Year before last his money bought 
a great many goods. Goods were cheap. Last year he gets less. 
He is dissatisfied. He thinks the agent is cheating him. This 
year he gets only half as many. ]Srow he feels sore. He thinks 
he is wronged, although the government agient explains to 
him that cotton and wool and other things have gone up in 
price and that his money does not buy as much as before. It 
i? difiicult to make the Indian understand or believe it, but 
pav him his dollars and then he knows the government has 
fulfilled its part. - * * 

(Signed). "George L. Davexi'oht." 

General Sully, who led the several <'xpeditions against the 
Indians, gave it as his opinion that tlie cause of the outbreak 
at the time it occurred was that the agent attempted to pay 
the money portion of the annuities in greenbacks instead of 
gold, as had formerly been done. Tliis w.as the first, tlie In- 
dians liad seen of the greenbacks, and tlicy indignantly refused 
ihem. They were afterwards exchanged for gold, but not in 
time to prevent the trouble. 

Another theory is tliat (Muissarie^^ from tlio Confederates 
w'ere sent among tlie Indians to incite tlieni to dee(ls of vio- 
lence and insurrection. Judge Fl.andrau says there is no 
foundation for any such suspicion. lie further writes at 
greater length and more in detail about the matter. He says: 

"Much dissatisfaction was engendered among the Indians 
by occurrences taking place at the time of the negotiating of 



CAUSES OF TIIK OUTHHKAK 273 

these treaties. * " " Tliis dissarisfactiuii was inci-ca-ccl 
rather than (limiiiislu'd hy the suhscciuent athiiinistration of 
the treaties under the i>eiieral iioveniiiieiit. * * * The 
l^rovisioiis of the treaties for periodical i)ayiiieiits of money 
and goods and other benefits, althoii<>li carried out with sub- 
stantial honesty, failed to meet the exag'fierated ex])ec- 
tations of the Indians. * "' " Xothing spcH'ial has 
been discovered to have taken i)lace tf> which the out- 
break can be immediate! v attributed. Tt was charo-ed to 
emissaries from the Confederates in the South, but there was 
no foundation for these surmi'^es. The rebellion of the south- 
ern states was at its height. Large bodies of troops were being 
sent out of Minnesota. The ])ayment due in June or July, 
1862, was much delayed. The Indians were hungry and angry. 
* * * Some of tlie chiefs were ambitious and thought it 
a good opi)ortunitv to regain their lost country and exalt 
themselves in the eyes of their people. This combination of 
circumstances operating upon a deepseated hatred of the whites, 
in mv opinion, precipitated the outbreak at the time it occur- 
red."' 

x\nother theory, and one that was entertaine(l l)y many wh«. 
understood the subject best, was th.at tlic Indians constru('(l the 
failure of the authorities to capture and punish Inkpadutab. 
and the remainder of his band for their j>art in the outrages 
of 1857 as an evidence of weakness and cow.ardice on their 
part. It is said that Little Crow boastfully declared ''that if 
Inkpadutab with his tifteen followers could massacre a whoh.^ 
settlement and create a panic that drove thousands from their 
homes and escape unpunished, he, numbering his Avarriors by 
thousands, could massacre and expel all the whites from the 
Minnesota Valley." Xow it is more than i)robal)le that the 
"wily chieftain, seeing that th<' men were being s<'nt out of the 
state by thousands, really imagined himself strong enough 
to recover his lost hunting grounds and re-establish his waning 
prestige and power. Again, may not the cause ha\-e been the 
inexorable logic of events; the imniutabh' deri-ee of fate? 
Mav not tlio wlinlc Mfl'air linvo Ikumi <ni:' link in tli<' tivr-At cli.'.iin 



274 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

of fatalities which has followed the native tribes from the time 
the whites first set foot on the shores of Xew England, and 
will continue to follow them until the race becomes extinct ? 
Who knows ? 

More space has been given to these official reports than w.as 
at first intended, but there is no other way in which so accu- 
rate an understanding of the situation and condition of 
affairs on the frontier at that time can be had as bv these 
reports. They were written on the ground at the time by some 
of the best known and level headed men in the state, and 
their statements will at once be taken at their face value. In 
perusing these rej^orts the reader will not fail to notice that 
Spirit Lake .and the settlements in Dickinson County were 
the most exposed of any on the Iowa frontier, being at the 
northwestern angle of the line of posts from Chain Lakes to 
Sioux City. On the other hand, there was no point on the 
entire line where less excitement prevailed and less needless 
fear and apprehension were felt than in the vicinity of the 
lakes. Colonel Ingliam noticed this fact when he was here, 
and mentions it in his report as follows: "This feeling (re- 
ferring to the general feeling of fright and apprehension then 
prevailing), however, seemed to \ye more intense and to run 
higher in the more inland and remote counties from the bor- 
der than the border counties themselves." 

It will be noticed that the events which have taken so much 
space to relate were crowded into a small portion of time in 
the fall of 1802. By the time that winter fairly set in, the 
stockades at tlie different posts were C()mi)leted and occupied 
by the recpiisite number of troops and a system of scouting 
and carrying dispatches put into operation. Doubtless this 
prompt action of the authorities, state and national, prevented 
any further depredations, and it certainly inspired the set- 
tlers witli a greater feeling of security. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



EXrKDITIOXS A(;AI.\ST TIIK INDIANS SULLy's 

EXPEDITION HIS FORCE LEAVES SIOUX CITY AND 

FOLLOW UP THE MISSOURI EXPECT TO FORM A 

.TUXCTIOX WITH SIBLEy's FORCES AT APPLE RIVER 

ON ARRIVING THERE FIND SIBLEY HAS BEEX 

THERE AND TURNED BACK I!ATTLE Ol-' WHITE 

STONE HILL— THE KKTrRX TO SIOUX CITY SIB- 

LEY's COMMAND MOVE ACROSS MINNESOTA 

FIGHT THREE BATTLES BEFORE REACHING THE 

MISSOURI ON REACHING THE MISSOURI FIND 

THAT SULLY HAS NOT YKT ARRIVED- — REST TWO 

DAYS AND THEN TURN BACK TIIK EXPEDITIONS 

OF 1864: RELIEF BY CAPTAIN FISK EXPKDITIOX' 

TO DKVIL^S LAKE IX 1805. 

X TUB Slimmer of 1863 two expeditions were sent by 
tlie United States government against the Sionx. One 
of these expeditions was fitted ont in Sionx City under 
the command of General Alfred Sully, and proceeded 
np the ^lissoiiri Iviver with the intention and expectation of 
forming a junction with the other which was fitted out at St. 
Paul, under the command of General IL II. Sibley, and M-ent 
across the country to the upi)er Missouri, expecting to meet Gen- 
eral Sully u)»()n their arrival there. ]>ut tlu^ two forces failed to 
connect. General Sully's predecessor, General Cook, although 
a good man, had had no ex|H'rience in fitting out expeditions of 
this kind, and Geiu'ival Sully found on liis arrival to assume 
the command that many things that were absolutely essential 
had l)('en overlookecl. Tlicse (h-fccts if took rime to remedy. 
At riiat rinu' there were no railroads west of rlic .Mississippi, 




276 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

and for supplies they had to depend on the navigation of the 
Missouri, and that was always a very uncertain contingency. 
This season it proved more so than usual, as it was very dry. 

After many vexatious delays, the expedition left Sioux City 
some time in June with the expectation of forming a junc- 
tion with Sibley's command about the last of July or the 
first of August. Sully's force was made up of the Sixth 
Iowa Cavalry, the Nebraska Second, a battery of four pieces, 
and the Sioux City Cavalry, and numbered about three thou- 
sand. The summer was one of the dryest on record. In that 
country of tall grass and running streams, the horses often 
suffered for want of food and water. The vegetation w.as 
absolutely burned up and many of the streams had gone dry. 
It was not the design of the General to follow the river in its 
windings, but to cut across from one bend to another, in order 
to shorten the distance. In doing tliis he was sometimes 
compelled to make forced marches of from twenty to thirtv 
miles to the river for water. Most of the small lakes in that 
region had gone dry and those that had not were so impreg- 
nated with alkali that the water could not be used. The water 
of the Missouri River is known to l>e tliick witli the light, 
yellow sand that forms the bluff's through which it runs. Up- 
on boiling the water this sand settles to the bottom and the 
water remains remarkably clear and juire. It has to be 
treated in this way to make it fit for cooking purposes. 

The expedition had for a guide .a full blooded Blackfoot 
Indian by the name of "Fool Dog," assisted by a French half- 
breed by the name of La Fromboise. Whether this was the 
same Joe La Fromboise that ])iloted (ii]itain Bee's expedition 
from Fort Ridgley to Jackson in 1857 is not fully known, 
but it is more than probable that he was. The expedition 
proceeded up the river as rapidly as possible, considering the 
obstacles they enconntei-ed. As they neared the plac(> appoint- 



SULLYS KXl'KDITION IW THK MISSOIUI 277 

ed fur iiKikiii^i;- the juiK-rioii with vSihlcy's f(.)rees, they Iciinied 
through the Indian scuiits that Siblev had been there, and 
not findinii' Siillv's coluimi there, luid tiirucMl hack. In (ird<'r 
to test the truth of this report, the General sent forward a de- 
tachment under the lead of tlie Indian i;-uido to investigate 
the facts, while the main body went into eamp on Long Lake 
Creek and remained thei-e until th<' messengers returned. 

Upon their return with tlie iiiformatittu thai the Indians 
had crossed the Missouri and that Sibley had taken the back 
track for St. Paul, it became necessary for Sully to change 
his plans. ^^Tost of the officers believed that since the Indians 
had crossed the ^Missouri, it would be necessary for the troops 
to do the same if they expected to meet them, luit when the 
matter was suggested to the Indian guide, he would only 
sliake his head, give an expressive grunt and point to the east; 
accordingly, when General Sully put his column in motion, 
lie acted on the guide's advice and moved in that direction 
until the third of September, when he encountered a large body 
of Indians in camp at White Stone Hill. 

These were in i)art the same that (»eneral Sibley had driven 
across the ]\Iissouri River a month before, but had crossed 
back heavily reinforced from the wilder tribes on the other 
sid<'. They had been watching Sibley closely, and knew all 
the details of his movements and thought when he turned 
back on the first of August that they had nothing farther to 
fear, and so they went to work securing their winter supply 
of buffalo meat and skins, in which they were phenomenally 
successful. They had heard nothing of General Sully's ex- 
pedition u]) the ri\'er, and were wliolly ignorant of his move- 
ments. 

Sully broke cam]) at Long Lake ( "rc>ek either th(> first or 
second day of September. Soon after changing his course and 
starting east, uiiniist.akable signs of the close ])roximity of 



278 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Indians were abundant and growing more so. Carcasses of 
recently slain buffaloes were encountered in increasing; nuni- 
bers, and everything indicated that a large force was near. 
The guides are rejDorted to have told the officers that in all 
probability the Indians were at one of three different points 
curing their meat. Acting on this theory, the General sent 
forward two detachments, with orders for one to take the 
right and the other the left, and advance rapidly, while he 
with the main body would move more deliberately. 

This was the order of advance on the third of September. 
Major House, of the Sixth Iowa Cavalry, had command of 
one of the advance battalions. His force numbered about 
three hundred. About tw^o P. M. they sighted the Indians, 
some six or eight lodges being in sight. Here the guides were 
in favor of halting and sending back for reinforcements, but 
the Major seeing no signs of a large force, continued to move 
forward, until, on reaching the crest of a ridge, he saw spread 
out before him a camp of four to five hundred lodges. 

By this time he was discovered by the Indians, and it was 
too late to retreat, and the only thing for him to do was to halt 
his men and assume a defensive position and be mighty quick 
about it. He had no time to lose. The Indians outnumbered 
him at least seven to one, and had they charged at once, he 
might have met the same fate that overtook Custer a dozen 
years later. At any rate there would have been a bloody 
battle. But the Indians saw that House's force was not for- 
midable, and they were in no hurry. They had a ''palaver" 
with the scouts and interpreter, and when told there was a 
much larger force near, they didn't l^elieve it, but all the same, 
when House sent his messengers back for reinforcements, 
some Indian runners followed them to find out whether they 
had been told the truth or not. On coming in sight of Sully's 
force and noting its strength, they hurried back to report. 



BATTLE OF WHITE STONE HILL 279 

It was between four and five o'clock P. M. when the mes- 
sengers sent back bv Ilonsc reached headquarters. The force 
had gone into camp and were just ready to partake of their 
coffee and liard tack when the messenger galloped up to head- 
quarters to report. The bugles immediately sounded ''Boots 
and Saddles," the boys sprung for their horses, and in an in- 
credibly short space of time were taking a headlong gallop 
tow;ir(l the Indian rendezvous, leaving a sufficient force to 
guard the camp. The distance was not far from ten miles 
and was covered by the troops in about an hour. The Indian 
runners got in just ahead of them, and the Indian lodges 
came down all at once as though a cyclone had struck them. 
Up to this time they believed Major House's force was all 
they would have to contend with, and they felt strong enough 
to resist him. 

The General's plan was to send one force around th<'m to 
the right and another to the left, with orders to form a junc- 
tion in their rear, while lie witli tlie reserve would remain 
on the otlicr si(h'. It wa-^ not tlu' General's inti'iition to hring 
on an eiigagenKMit at once, but, if ])ossible, to secure the sur- 
render of the Indians without a figiit. While he was nego- 
tiating to that end, the Nebraska Second precipitated an en- 
gagement by firing without orders, .and in an instant all was 
confusion. La Fromboise, the interpreter, was caught between 
the lines when the firing commenced, and he had a serious time 
getting back to headquarters. It was about sundown when the 
firing began, and it was kept up vigorously on both sides until 
the gathering darkness put an end to the conflict. The men 
remained in position and stood holding their horses by the 
bits all night. 

About ten o'clock the Indians made a rush and succeeded 
in breaking through the lines of the Sixth Iowa, and a large 
number effected their escape, while the balance, consisting of 



280 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

.a motley crowd of Indians, squaws and papooses, surrendered. 
The camp, with all their tepees, bedding and provisions, fell 
into the hands of the troops and were destroyed next day. 

The loss on the part of the troops was twenty-two killed 
and fifty wounded. The Indian loss is unknown, but was 
very severe. Two hundred and twenty-five dead bodies were 
counted in one ravine. During the night the General sent 
back a surgeon with a guard to the main camp for much 
needed medical >^up])lios. This party on their way lost their 
course and wandered about all that night, the next day and 
the next night in a vain endeavor to find the camp. Finally, 
despairing of that, they determined to reach the Missouri 
River if possible, and "taking a due west course," they soon 
came into camp, much to their own surprise and to the relief 
of the General, wlio was beginning to feel some anxiety alx>ut 
them, fearing that possibly they might have been picked off 
by some stray body of savages. 

The battle of White Stone Hill has never been given the 
prominence by historians that its importance would seem to 
demand, but the reason is not far to seek. By comparing 
dates it will l>e found that this engagement was fought about 
two weeks previous to the great battle of Chickamauga, and 
by the time the news of it reached civilization, the country 
was in a state of wild excitement over that event, and for 
the time being, the single division fighting savages on the 
northwestern l)order was almost forgotten. But for all that, 
the battle of White Stone Hill ranks as one of the decisive 
battles of the country. The importance of a battle does not 
depend on the numbers engaged, or the losses sustained, but 
on the far reaching results that follow^, and it was at White 
Stone Hill that the power of the Sioux nation for aggressive 
warfare was effectuallv broken. • . 



RESULTS OF THE BATTLE 281 

'Tis true that Sibley bad driven tbem out of Minnesota 
and across tbe Missouri Kiver, but be was no sooner out of 
sight than they crossed back again apparently just as strong 
as ever. But from Sully's crushing defeat they never recov- 
ered. The burning of their camp and the destruction of their 
camp supplies and provisions occurred the next day, and is 
described by those who witnessed it as a very exciting affair, 
and was accompanied by many tragic and higlily dramatic 
incidents, which, if properly written uj), would make a decid- 
edly sensational chapter. 

.Vfter the affair at White Stone Hill, (Jcncral Sully was 
ordered by the War Department to build a fort >m \hv upper 
Missouri to be called Fort Sully. Accordingly he selected 
the site and commenced operations. The troops did not take 
very kindly to the work and at first the progress was decided- 
ly slow. The boys claimed they didn't enlist to build forts, 
but the Greneral pointedly informed them tli.at they would have 
to complete that fort, if it took all winter, before they would 
be allowed to go down the river. When they saw that fur- 
ther kicking was useless, they took hold in earnest, and in a 
short time the fort was completed and the column started down 
the river, arriving in Sioux City some time early in Decem- 
ber. Sergeant A. Kingman, of the Sioux City Cavalry, was 
in command of the squad that did the first day's work in the 
erootion of Fort Sully. 

Tu the meantime, Sibl(>v's eouim.aud, wliicli was to have 
foruiecl a junction with Sully's on the upper Missouri, ren- 
dezvoused at Camp Poj)e, about twenty-five miles above Fort 
Ridgley, and near the Lower Agency. It was Sibley's original 
intention to make his trip by way of Devil's Lake, as the rem- 
nant of Little Crow's followers were supposed to be rendez- 
voused there. On the seventh of June, 1863, General Sibley 
.arrived at the point of departure. Ilis force consisted of 



282 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

about four thousand men, tliree-fonrths of -whom were infan- 
try, and eight pieces of artillery, fully oqui])pcd .and officered, 
and accompanied by two hundred and twenty-five six-mule 
wagons. They broke camp and started west on the sixteenth 
of June. Of course the Indians knew of the exjiledition 
being sent against them, and fell liack. At first their re- 
treat was toward the British line, l)ut later they changed their 
course in the direction of the u})per Missouri. When the 
General became satisfied of this change, of course he aban- 
doned his idea of going to Devil's Lake, and decided to push 
forward .as raj^idly as possible toward the Missouri. 

He therefore formed a permanent post at Camp Atchison, 
about fifty miles southeast of Devil's Lake, where he left all 
of his sick and broken do\vn men and a portion of his train, 
with a guard to defend them if attacked. He then started 
west on tlic twentieth of duly, witli alxmt fifteen hun- 
dred infantry, six hundred cavalry and his artillery, and 
twenty-five days' rations. He crossed the James River on the 
twenty-second, and on the twenty-fourth reached the vicinity 
of Big" Mound. Here the scouts reported large bodies of 
Indians, with Red Plume and Standing Buffalo among them. 
The forces of the Indians were re])orted much larger than 
they really were, and tlie Cieneral cornilUMl liis train and threw 
up breastworks. About three V. M. an .attack was made by 
the Indians. The liattle was fouglit in the midst of a terrific 
thunder storm. ("(d(tnel McPhinTs sal)ro was knocked fi'om 
his hand by liglitning, and oih' private was killed by the same 
force. The Indians were defeated with .a loss of about eighty. 
Judge Flandrau, writing of this engagement, says: "The bat- 
tle of BifiT Mound was a (hn'iih'd victoi'v and counted heavily 
in the scale of advantage, as it put the savages on the run for 
a ])hice of safety and materially disahlcd them from prose- 
cntinu" further liostilities." 



Sibley's expedition across Minnesota 283 

On tlie morning- of the twenty-sixth the command again 
moved forw.ard, and abont noon the scouts reported Indians, 
and soon large bodies of them became visible. In this action, 
as in the former one, the Indians were the attacking parties, 
iiiiikini:' three separate and distinct attacks on Sihlov's forces, 
but being beaten off each time they finally withdrew. Sib- 
ley's men immediately threw up earthworks to guard against 
a night surprise. This action is known as the battle of Dead 
Buffalo Lake. .Judge Flandrau further s,ays : 

'^The General was now convinced that the Indians were going 
towartl tlu! Alissouri with the purpose of putting that river be- 
tween themselves and his command, and, expecting General 
Sully's force to be there to intercept them, he was determined to 
pusli them on as rapidly as possible, iutlijcting all the damage he 
could in their flight. * * * 'But low water delayed Sully 
to such an extent that he failed to arrive in time, and as the 
sequel will show, they succeeded in crossing the river before 
Sibley could overtake them." 

On the twenty-eighth of July, the Indians Avere again seen, 
and this time in immense nnnd)ers. They liad evi<lently been 
largely reinforced from the other side of the river. They 
made a hot fight of it, but were finally defeated at all ])oint3 
and fied in panic and rout to the ^Missouri. They were hotly 
])ursued. and on the twcnty-uintli the troops crossed Apple 
('reck and, jtiisliing on, struck the ^fissouri the thirtieth. The 
Indians had succeeded in crossing with their families, but in 
a very demoralized condition. It was at this point that the 
two forces were to have formed a junction. Had Sully arrived 
in time to prevent the Indians from crossing the river, the 
complete destruction or (•a])ture of the savage forces would 
have been the result. This delay was no fault of Sully's, but 
was caused by insurmountable obstacles. 

This battle was known as the l)attle of Stony Lake, and in 
j)oiiit of nund)ers engaged and the stnbl)ornness with which 



284 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

it was contested, it w,as one of the most important Indian 
battles of the war. The Indians having crossed the Mis- 
souri, further pursuit was abandoned and General Sibley, 
after resting his men a couple of days, started on his return 
march the first day of August. 

This campaign practically ended the Indian occupation of 
the state of Minnesota, but the United States authorities 
decided not to let the Indian question rest on the results of 
the operations of 1863, which left the Indians in possession of 
the country beyond the Missouri, rightly conjecturing that 
they would construe their escape into a victory. Consequent- 
ly two expeditions were planned for the summer of 186-J:, sim- 
ilar to those of the previous year, but this time both expedi- 
tions were under the immediate command of General Sully. 
The Sioux City Cavalry, the company to which most of those 
enlisting from here belonged, which had been detailed for 
duty at the General's headquarters the previous year, were not 
made a part of the force on this expedition^ from the fact 
that their time would expire and the men l>e entitled to their 
discharge before the force would return to Sioux City in the 
fall. They were accordingly stationed at Vermilion. 

The Iowa brigade in the expedition of 1864 was composed 
of the Sixth Iowa Cavalry, a regiment of Kansas infantry 
and lirackett's Battalion of Aliniu'sota Cavalry. This l)rigade 
was under the immediate command of General Sully. Tlie 
^linnesota l)rigade was composed of the Eighth Minnesota 
Infantry mounted on ponies, the Second ]\rinnesota Cavalry 
and tlic Tliird Minnesota B,atterv. This brigade was under 
the command of General Sibley, but after the two brigades 
fornicfl a junction at tlie crossing of the Missouri, Sully as- 
sumed the connnand of the entire force. The crossing was 
made on boats that belonged to Sully's command. 



THE EXPEDITION OF 1804 285 

The ^linnesota force left Fort Snelling on the first day of 
Jnni' and moved westward without incident or accident, reach- 
ing the ^Lissonri on the first of Jnly, where they found Sully, 
who had arrived with his force the day before. Sully, with 
the Iowa forces, came up the river as before, and after form- 
ing a junction Avith the column from Minnesota, crossed to 
the other side of the Missouri. The column was immediately 
directed toward the Cannon Ball River, where eighteen hun- 
dred lodges were reported to be encamped, but the Indians 
fled before the approach of the troops. On the second of 
August the Indians were found in large numbers on Big Knife 
Ixiver in the Bad Lands. These Indians had murdered a party 
of Id.aho miners tlie year before, and had given aid and com- 
fort to the Minnesota refugee Indians. They were immediate- 
ly attacked and after a spirited engagement were defeated with 
severe loss. 

On the next day, August third, the command moved west 
through the Bad Lands, and just .as they emerged from this 
terribly rough country, they were sharply attacked by ,a very 
large body of savages. This fight lasted through two days 
and nights and was stubbornly contested, but the Indians 
were finally defeated at all points .and fled in confusion. Gen- 
eral Sully then crossed to the west side of the Yellowstone, 
wliere he found two government steamers awaiting him with 
ample supplies. On this trip he located Forts Rice, Stephen- 
son and Berthold. On reaching Fort Rice, he found that 
considerable anxiety was felt there in regard to the fate of 
Captain Fisk, who, with fifty men, had left the fort as an 
escort to a train of Idaho emigrants, and had been attacked 
one hundred .and eighty miles west of the fort and had been 
compelled to intrench. He had sent for reinforcements. 
General Sully sent him three hundred men, who extricated 
him from liis dangerous position. Another expedition was 



286 DICKINSON COUNTY - loWA 

sent out under Sully to Devil's Lake in 1865. Since that 
time the Indian troubles have been beyond the Missouri. 

In referring to the Indian war of 1862 and 1863, Judge 
Flandrau writes as follows : 

"In the numbers of Indians engaged, together with their 
superior fighting qualities, their armament and the country oc- 
cupied by them, it ranks .among the most important of the In- 
dian wars fought since the first settlement of the country on 
the Atlantic coast, but when viewed in the light of the number 
of settlers and others massacred, the amount of property des- 
troyed and the horrible atrocities committed by the savages, it 
far surpasses them all." 

More time and space has been given to the Indian war in 
Minnesota than was at first intended, but it seems impossible 
to give an intelligent idea of the exposed condition of the 
Iowa frontier in any other way. Judge Flandrau's articles 
have been freely quoted. They are regarded as the most re- 
liable and readable of anything on the subject. Most of the 
facts relating to the Minnesota campaign have been compiled 
from his works. ' 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

CLOSE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS ON THE FRON- 
TIER A SUMMARY THE FUR BUSINESS TRAP- 

riNG AND GATHERING FUR EARLY' LITERARY 

SOCITIES THE OKOBO.TI LITERARY LEAGUE 

THE "legend of SPIRIT LAKE." 

IT IS XOT doomed necessarv to t'olldw furrlicr tlio de- 
tails of military operations along the frontier. Those 
in which this county was most interested have already 
been noticed quite extensively. Several other military 
organizations th.an those mentioned were attempted and par- 
tially consummated, but inasmuch as they were never called 
into active service, they are not considered of sufficient im- 
portance to be given in detail here. Perhaps a recapitulation 
of the forces stationed here from the commencement of the 
troubles to the close of the war would be of interest to the 
reader. 

The first in order is the company of state troops under com- 
mand of Captain ^fartin, which was sent here in February, 
18.58, and kept here until July of that year, when they were 
ordered out of service, but not disbanded. They were ordered 
here again in tlio fall of that same year, and kept here until 
the spring of 1859, when they were disbanded. The next 
force stationed here was a detachment of the Sioux City Cav- 
alry, whose operations have already been noticed. In the 
spring of 1863, when they were detailed f<»r dnty at Geiun-.al 
Sully's headquarters, their ])lace was tnk(>n by a detachment 
of Captain Crapper's Com])any of tlic Xorthern Border Bri- 
gade, wh(» were kept here dnring the siniiiiicr of 1>^<>,'5. The next 
winter they were suiX'rseded by a dctaclimcnt of ( 'ompany T, 



28 S DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

of the Sixth Iowa Cavalry. This company was under the 
command of Captain Wolf, who had his headquarters at Es- 
therville. The Spirit Lake detachment w.as commanded by 
Lieutenant Benjamin King. This company was kept here 
until the spring of 1864, when it was succeeded by a company 
of the Seventh Iowa Cavalry under Captain Cooper. This 
force was in turn superseded by Company E, of the Sixth 
Iowa Cavalry, commanded by Cajjtain Daniel Eichor, wlio 
remained here until the spring of 1865, when they were or- 
dered out and their places taken by a detachment of Minnesota 
troops known as Brackett's Battalion, under the command of 
Captain Read. This was the last military force stationed on the 
Iowa frontier. The last military post to be abandoned in 
Iowa was the one near the state line on the west side of Spirit 
Lake. 

The year 1863 brought but little emigration. Among the ar- 
rivals for that year were Elev. Samuel Pillsbury .and family, 
R. R. iWilcox, 'William Leggett and a few others. The Pills- 
burys and Wilcox are the only comers of that date who re- 
mained permanently. 

Of the different avocations adopted for making a livelihood 
by those who were not in the army, the most important as well 
as the most profitable was trapping. It will be remembered 
that during the war the price of gold ran up to a fabulous 
figure, and as fnr was about the only article of exjwrt that we 
had that represented gold, it advanced in price accordingly. 
During the sixties Spirit Lake was the headquarters of the 
largest fur trade of any town l>etween Mankato and Sionx 
City. The furs most in demand at that time were otter, beaver, 
fisher, mink and muskrat. The coarser furs were not so much 
in favor at that time as they have been since. About the 
first of Se])teml)er the trappers would scatter out to look over 
the ground and form their plans for the fall and Avinter cam- 
paign. It was usually considered more advantageous for two 



THE FUR BUSINESS 289 

to go together. Sometimes larger parties were made up, but 
they did not usually do as well as where they went in twos. 
The whole country to the north and west of here was open 
to them, and the innumerable lakes, sloughs and streams in 
that direction were richly stocked with fur bearing animals. 

After locating their camp and pitching their tent, usually 
by some lake or stream, they at once proceeded to business. Each 
person tended from forty to sixty traps. To do this success- 
fully required from fifteen to thirty miles tramping over the 
prairie each day, sometimes more. Walking through the prairie 
grass without trail or footpath is alx)ut as tedious and tiresome as 
anything that can Ik" iuvagined. It was a common experience to 
start out in the morning about daylight, taking a sack containing 
from fifteen to thirty traps, and put in the entire day setting 
traps, taking up and moving others, sometimes skinning their 
game, but more often taking it back to camp with them, put 
in the entire day tramping over the prairie, reacliing camp 
about dark, and tlieii after partaking of a tra]»j»er's su])pcr to 
put in the evening ))reparing and taking care of their furs. 

The life which these trapj^ers lived was about as jirimitive 
as could be endured by civilized beings. A small tent, the 
smallest possible supply of bedding, a few indispensable cook- 
ing utensils, a generous supply of ammunition, together with 
a little flour and a few necessary groceries, completed the out- 
fit. During the winter time these camps were moved from 
place to place on large handsleds. A favorite method for 
trappers traveling over the prairie, especially during the fall 
and spring or any other time of high water, was to have a 
small, strongly built boat mounted on two light wheels, such 
as hayrake or cultivator wheels, and load their luggage into 
the boat. By this means they were enabled to take a direct 
course across the prairies, regardless of swollen streams and 
impassable marshes. 



290 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Spirit Lake was a great outfitting point for the trappers 
and also a great point for collecting fnrs.. It is probable that 
Henry Barknian of Spirit Lake, in the twenty years that he 
devoted to the business, bought, packed, handled and shipped 
more fur than any other man who ever lived in Iowa. Col- 
lecting fur over the vast uninhabited region of northwestern 
Iowa, southwestern Minnesota and southeastern Dakota was no 
l^icnic. 

In pleasant weather when the streams were low it was not 
a very bad job, but these conditions were the exception and not 
the rule. A large proportion of the fur was gathered in in 
the winter. The two men on whom Mr. Barkman depended 
the most largely for assistance in buying and collecting the 
fur in this region were John P. Gilbert and James S. Johns- 
ton, both of Spirit Lake. It was no uncommon experience for 
either one of these men to start out in the dead of winter over 
the snow-covered prairie on a trip varying from three to ten 
days in extent with no expectation of meeting a human being 
except at the tra])pers' camps as they struck them. They had 
to take along grain for their teams and provisions for them- 
selves. They also usually took along a supply of groceries 
and provisions for the trappers at the camps they expected to 
visit. It was customary at the larger camps to ])ut up a little 
hay in the fall for the benefit of the fur-buyers during the 
winter. 

Usually the buy<'r in traveling over the country could strike 
a camp ,at night, l)nt failing to do this tlic only alternative was 
to get into a ])lace as well sludteretl from the wind as possi- 
ble and pass the night there, counting himself lucky if no 
storm came uj) to prevent resuming his course in the nmrn- 
ing. In addition to the furs gathered in this way, many trap- 
])ers kept their entire catch until s})riiig and sold it all at once, 
'j'iiis fnr, after beiiii;' bi-onuht to Sjiirir Lake was assort<'(l, 



EAKLY LITERARY SOCIETIES '21)1 

packetl and sent to St. Paul wlicrc it was ojiciicd, re-assorted, 
repackctl and startcti <»ii its jdiinicy t<> the London and Leipsic 
sales. 

It is to be rojiretted that no statistics liavc been preserved 
showinii" the nia_i>nitude of the business from 18G0 to 1875. 
With the settlement of the eounties to the lutrth an<l west wliich 
occurred iu ISilil aiid ISTO, the fur business b(\i;au to decline 
and within tifteen vi'ars of that time it had ])ractically died 
out. 

The (daim has heretofore been made and nuiintaine(l with 
n good degree of i)lausibility that the <'arly settlers of this 
comity represented a higher ty})e of intelligence and literary 
attainment than is nsnal in frontier settlements. The snperior 
intellectual cnltnre of onr earliest inhabitants has always been 
recognized, llow much this early influence has had to do in 
so shaping our more recent literary growth as to make the 
establishment and maintenance of the ('hautau(|ua of today 
a complete success we can never know ; perhaps not any. Still 
the fact remains that among the more prominent of our people, 
whether numbering few or many, there has always been a de- 
cided bent foi- intellectual improvement and literary enter- 
tainment. 

Literary societies were organized here as early .as 1801 there 
being one both at Sjnrit Lake and Okoboji that winter. The 
most ])romiiient lilerary society of those <^arly days was known 
as the ''()kol)<\ji Literary League," organized in the fall of 
180,3. Many of the papers read before that society would do 
credit to any of the many literary societies that have flourished 
since that time. The one attracting the most attention, ]\rrs. 
A. L. Buckland's "Legend of S|)irit Lake," has been jjublished 
in several of the ])a])ers of northwestern Town ;ind extracts from 
it have l)oen given in several eastern magazines. Tt was not 
claimed bv the writ<'r at the time that there was much founda- 



292 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



IOWA 



tion for the legend as there related l)nt the public has seized 
upon the tradition as being the true one and it is accepted as 
such where the j)oem itself has never been heard of. A writer 
in the "Great Divide" recently gave the incidents of the poem 
rendered in prose with this introduction : 

"The legend of Spirit Lake has about it a touch of genuine 
pathos and true wild flavor peculiar to the Indian alone, and 
savors of that age long since gone by when the red man's canoe 
alone floated over the clear blue water of Spirit Lake." 




MRS. A. L. BUCKLAND. 

LEGEND OF SPIRIT LAKE. 

(Note by the Author.) 

This lovely sheet of water which lies in the northern part 
of our covmtry is, save our own wikl charming Okoboji, the most 
beautiful in the 'West. Its waters are pure and clear, it shores 
either smooth and j)ebbly or wild and rocky and in some places 
walled with a regularity we can but admire. What is remark- 
able it has no visible outlet, but about half way across the lake 
when the waters are not moved by the wind a strong current 
is perceptible. The Sioux have a superstition that the lake is 
watched over by spirits. 



LEGEND OF Sl'lUlT LAKE 



293 



The following lines tell their tralirioii: 

The /AVest, the West, the boundless West, 
The land of all I love the best. 
Her beauties live on every hand, 
Her billowy prairies vast and grand, 
A landscape spread so wild and free. 
What other elinie ean lovelier he t 

Her rivers on toward ocean flow, 
Her lakes like gems of crystal glow, 
With pebbly l)each or rocky shore 
Or wooded cliflFs, trees hanging o'er 
The water's edge, while down below 
The finny tril)es d.art to and fro; 
Xo place so dark but wild flowers spring: 
Xo spot so lone, but wild birds sing. 
For me the prairie and the lake 
Possess a charm I would not break. 




'• A'o p/rtff so dark 1)1(1 II it.i H'lurrsxvrinij; 
No spot Ko lone tnit wild bird,* ging. ' 



29i 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



I love them when in springtime Lrigiit 
Each scene is tonched with tender light. 
Or when niidsnninier's stronger heat 
Makes life a burden, rest a cheat, 
These wilds, these lakes, this prairie breeze, 
These lovely kaiints among the trees 
]\[ake fittest place to while away 
The tedious, dull midsummer day. 

But more I love them when the year 
With autumn frosts is growing sere, 
'When gorgeous sunset's golden dyes 
Light up our Indian-summer skies. 
Xow, Xature claims these wilds her own, 
But Art ere long will share the throne ; 
E'en now the pioneer has come 
Within these wilds to make his home, 
The Eed ]\Ian farther west has gone — 
The Indian trail is overgrown. 

Ere hither came the sons of toil 
To make them homes and till the soil, 
The bold and fearless hunter came 
In search of sport and western game ; 




'For me the praifie ami the la^c 
Pognegg a charm 1 would not break. 



LEGEND OF SI'IRIT LAKE 



295 




"!Z7ie mellow haiTCst moon at uinlit 
rionked Nature's form in misty linM." 

And oft adventure strange he met 
While here the lied Man wandered vet. 
But since it is not my intent 
In rliyme to tell each wild event 
Whieh early settlers here befell. 
This iLarrative I'll brieflv tell: 



'Twas years ago, ]terhaps a score, 
And possibly a dozen more, 
^[y chronicler don't tell exact 
But simply furnishes the fact 
The Indian-summer time was here, 
The loveliest time of .all the year: 
Through day the sun's bright gohlen ray; 
Cond)ined with autuuin'-^ smoky haze, 
The UH'llow harvest moon at night 
Cloaked Nature's form in misty light. 

A sportive party on a hunt. 

Who (lured the warlike Sioux confmut, 



296 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

From Avandering many a weary day 
To these our lakes now bent their way, 
And on the shore of Spirit Lake 
Their noonday rest they thought to take. 
iiSFow, in the grove, the lake close by, 
An Indian tepee caught their eye, 
And soon the youthful brave they met 
Who here his tepee-poles had set. 

tUmpashota was the name, 

Some of you have seen the same 

As years ago, five I believe,* 

He passed through here an aged chief, 

A j)risoner with his little baud 

To Captain Martin's brave command; 

But this was in an earlier day 

Long ere his locks were mixed with grey. 

But young and strong and brave was he 

As ever Sioux was known to be. 

The hunters bold he gave his hand 

And welcomed them the "smoky man." 

They saw the beauty of the place. 
The lake's walled shore .and rippled face. 
And asked what name to it belonged. 
For well they knew the Indian tongue, 
"Minnie Waukon," the warrior spake; 
Translated this means Spirit Lake. 
"And why thus called," he asked the bravo, 
As he looked out upon the wave, 
AVhile they the pipe of peace iml)ibc 
Lie tohl this legend of his tribe: 

How m.any, many moons ago 
The West belonged all to the Sioux, 
They were a countless tril)e and strong. 
But soon the white man's bitter wrong 
Took of their liunting ground the best. 
Forced them to make their marches west. 
Forced them to leave those sacred mounds. 
Their fatlier's ancient burial grounds, 



♦This poem was written in February. 1864. 



LEGEND OF SPIRIT LAKE 



297 





^iBf "Tr ' Triii'tT*'^ 








Wt/g^^^y^A 




'i^~jM^*i 





"They saw the beauty of the place, 
The lake's walled .shore and rippled face." 

Their god of war was illy pleased, 
Would not by trifles be appeased, 
But woke within the warrior's breast 
Anger for being thus oppressed, 
And war parties were often made 
The Avhitc man's country to invade; 
•And many a captive brought from far 
Was offered to their god of war. 

At last riiey brought a maiden fair, 
Of comely form and beauty rare, 
AVith eyes than lustrous stars more bright. 
And flowing tresses dark as night. 
Too fair for human race seemed she. 
But fit the white man's god to be. 
Xow, the Dacotali worships ne'er 
Tlie Ix'aiitifiil. llic l)ri<:-ht, tlio fair. 



ii98 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

But his Waukon's some hideous thing 
With awful eve and monster wing, 
Loves what is vilest, lowest, worst, 
,„ Thinks truth and beauty things accursed. 

He loves the dark and hates the light, 
Protects the wrong, destroys the right. 
Ah, captive maid, what luckless fate ! 
The victim of such fiendish hate. 
A savage vengeance craves thy life. 
The brave makes sharp his scalping knife. 
Those tresses dark their dance shall grace 
Ere next they venture on the chase. 

But "niongst the warriors brave and gay 
Was one they called the "Star of Day." 
The chief's much loved and honored son, 
His first, his last, his only one. 
By all both feared and loved Avas he, 
Their cliief 'twas said he was to be. 
He hardly seemed like others there, 
His eye was dark, his beard was fair. 
In fact 'twas whispered round by some 
He was a paleface and had come 
Into the tribe some years ago, — 
W.as stolen by the chieftain's squaw. 

He, always swiftest in the race, 
Loved well the reckless hunt and chase. 
His arrow true ne'er spent for naught 
Was sure to bring the game it sought. 
He white man born and savage reared 
By instinct nature's God revered; 
He saw the cai)tive, "Pale Face Dove" 
And in his breast she wakened love. 
'Full well he knew the cruel fate 
Which might the captive maid await 
Resolved himself to rescue her, 
The lovely dark-eyed prisoner. 
To take her from that savage band 
And bear her to her own bright land, 
And there with her he thought to stay 
And make her bride to Star of Dav. 



LEGEND OF SPIRIT LAKE 

The (•a]>tive saw his cheek's liglit hue 

And cui-liug locks, and quickly knew 

He was not of the savage race, 

But some long-captured young "paleface." 

She caught the ghinee of his bright eye 

And sweetly blushed, but knew not why. 

It chanced that to the warrior's care 

The chief oft left the captive fair, 

And though each spake a tongue unknown . 

Love has a language all its own, 

And by some silent magic spell 

It found a way its talc to tell. 

At Marble Grove within its shade 
'Twas planned to offer up the maid. 
The whole being left to Star of Day, 
He managed quite a different way. 
Beneath the bank, just out of view. 
He anchored near his light canoe : 
Across the lake within a glen ... 
Two well-trained ponies waited them. 

One eve as light began to fade 
He cut the thongs that bound the maid, 
'And 'neath the twilight's dusky sky, 
"While followed them no warrior's eye. 
He led her to the water's brim. 
She not resisting went with him. 
And launching quick their light canoe 
Thoy o'er tlie waters swiftly flew. 

The god of war wilk'd not that so 

This victim from his grasp should go. 

Awoke a storm upon the lake, 

Which caused tlu^ waves to madly lireak, 

And as the niglit grew wild and dark 

Upset their fragih^ dancing bark. 

And angry waters closed above 

The Star of Day and Pale Faced Dove. 

Bnt water spirits 'neath the wave 

Soon led them to a sliining cave, 

Whose floor was paved with sea shells light, 

Whoso walls were set with diamonds bright. 



299 



300 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




"And angpy waterx closed ahove. 
The Star of Day a7id Pale Faced Dove." 

And pearls and gems a glittering lot 

Had there been bronght to deck their grot. 

And there e'en now still live and love 

The Star of Day and Pale Faced Dove. 

isot mortals now bnt spirits grown 

They claim the lake as all their own, 

And watch its waters night and day. 

And never since that time, they say, 

Across the lake in his canoe 

Has gone as yet a single Sionx. 

But if he venture on the wave 

Xo power is able him to save 

From angry spirits who with frown 

A whirlpool set to drag liiiu down. 

And no Red Man dare undertake 

To sail upon this Spirit Lake, 

But if the white man's jolly boat 

Upon its silvery surface float, 

Quick ceases then the whirlpool's spell, 

The spirits know their i^eople well, 

And by a ri]i])le on the wave 

'i\'ll where is liid their sliiiiiii<>- cave. 



CirAPTKU XXIV. 




CAUSES DKLAYING KM K; KATION A 1'P:RI0D OF 

DTLT.XKSS TIIK KAKI-Y WOK'K <)I' 'I' 11 K MKTIIODIST 

Ki'iscAi'Ai. ciiiiicii — TIIK i;ai;i.v 1'I;KACIIKI{8 ■ 

TIIK KIK'Sr (AMI' MKETTNC;- TIIK I'lKST KKIJOIOUS 

KKVIVAI. Til K KKAinrr. S rOKMS HLIZ/.AIM»S 

WHO COIXKI) TIIK WOKM) A I)KS< i; I I'T I (».\ KKOM 

TIIK "(JUKAT I)IVII>k" A l-KW KX I'KKI K.XC KS A 

IJOMAXTIC \VKI>I)1X(; TUII'. 

ISrDE FROM MATTKRS c .nu'ctc;] wirli tin- u]u'rati(m 
of troo])s aloiii; the hordci- fdi" tlu' iircvcntioii of fur- 
ther oiitriiii.cs, matters on the frontier were verv quiet 
(liiriiiii- the remainder of the war. Tiie county org;aniza- 
tion was kejit uj), lait peojih' paid lnU litth' attention to hx'al 
matters. Here as (dsewheri' the war was the all-al>sor])ini>- topic. 
Tliere was hardly a family Imt had its representative in the 
ai'iiiy. 'Idle |)o|)nIation of frontier eonnties (dtlier remained 
."Stationary or diminished. TlieiH' was hardly any oiniii'ratiou 
except the few who struck for the frontier to avoid the draft. 
Xo iin])rovemeiits were made and many that wer<' in course 
of cor..striietion and others that were projected were ahandoned. 
Fi(d<ls were alloweil to ur.iw no with weeds, and fences were 
nse(l for fiud. The population of the con-ity dimiiii<]ie<l nia- 
terially, and althotiuh fhe tirst settlement was in \S'){') tlie po])- 
ulation ill the spring of ISO,") was l)nt a little in excess of two 
hundred. With the exce|)tioii of a little st ick raisiiiii', farmini>" 
was almost entirely iiei>Iecte(I. The seMlements were contiiH'd 
to the iiiiniediale iieiiihhorhood of the _i;'r«»V''-^. the jirairies l)ein^ 
as yet untonched. Since the crash id" \X'}7 there had Ixhmi hut 
little or no demand for udX'eriimcnt land. 



302 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Everybody imagined that after the close of the war there 
would be an unprecedented rush for the frontier, and that 
event was looked forward to with a great deal of anxiety. The 
ample provision made by the government for the defense of 
the frontier quieted the apprehensions of the settlers, and but 
little more occurred worthy of record as a matter of history 
during the period under consideration. The years dragged 
themselves slowly along until the collapse of the rebellion and 
the return of peace. The expectation that the return of peace 
would give a new impetus to emigration and that our prairies 
would commence filling up .at once were but partially realized 
&t this time so far as this county was concerned. That came 
later. 

The rare chances offered at the South attracted attention in 
that direction at the expense of the West, and many who had 
severed their business connection ,at the North in answer to the 
call for troops now thought they saw openings in that direc- 
tion to commence business again superior to those of the un- 
developed regions of the West. Again, the building of the 
Pacific Railroad commenced about that time and as it opened 
up a large and romantic region to settlement, it drew the 
larger part of western emigration to points along its line, and 
more especially that class of emigration who could command 
capital. 

Another agency that had l)een depended upon to stimulate 
emigration to this region was the passage by Congress of the 
homestead law. But the situation of affairs here at that time 
was not favorable to the conijdete success of its operation. 
While it w.as unquestionably a great benefit to many, it did not 
have a tendency to bring capital into the country, but, if any- 
thing, the tendency was in the oj^posite direction. A great 
many who depended \^])nn tlunr labor for a living imagined 
that if they could only get a piece of govin-ninent land their 



DULL TIMES 303 

fortunes would Ix? iiiadc, niul the iuiuicdiatc results of that 
law as demonstrated in this and adjttininii- counties was that 
many who had no idea of the hardships and privations of a new 
country, and who had always spent their money as soon as 
earned, spent their last dollar in squatting upon a piece of 
government land and then found themselves perfectly helpless. 
Xot having been in tlu' lialiit of hiyiuii' their plans hcforehand, 
but of spending their money as fast .as tlu'v earned it, they were 
illy prepared to surmount the ditHculties whicdi fall to the lot 
of all new countries. 

The inevitable result of this state of affairs was that the 
country developed more slowly than would have been the case 
with a more wealthy and energetic class of settlers. Again, 
it is a M'ell-known fact that army life is not conducive to 
economical or regular habits, and many carried the easy-going 
"devil-may-care habits" of camp life with them to their claims 
and the result w^as, although they might have been eminently 
successful as soldiers, they were hardly so as farmers. 

As yet the only religious denomination that had made any 
attempt to maintain regiilar services in the county, or in this 
part of the state in fact, were the Methodists. The names of 
their preachers up to 1876 has already been given, but possibly 
they should receive a rather more extended notice. As has 
been before noted Mr. McLean, the pioneer Methodist preacher 
of this county, was sent here by the Conference in the fall of 
1859. lie was an ideal representative of that class of educated, 
conscientious young nu'u who have, in all periods of our coun- 
try's history, struck for the frontier and labored honestly and 
earnestly to do what good they could, and exert what influence 
they might in forming jjublic o])inion and directing ]>ublic 
sentiment along the lines of mental and moi-al advancement. 
He was a young man and this was his first charge, and as before 
stated he was the first preacher on this charge. He was followed 



304 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

bj Rev. J. A. Van Aiida, who was the opposite of ]\I('Tx'aii in 
every particular. He was trifling, flippant and insincere, to 
say nothing of the more serious charges afterward brought 
against him. He was finally dismissed from the ministry for 
immoral conduct. 

Rev, J. W. Jones, his successor, was an honest, earnest man 
and a hard worker, but he was homesick. He had left his wife 
and two small children somewhere in Wisconsin when he came 
here. He stood it just as long as he could and then went back 
to his family, which he never should have left. He was a 
Welchman and could talk the ''Gaelic" fluently. The charge 
was without a j)astor until the ensuing Conference met, when 
Rev. 'William Hyde was appointed to the circuit. He was sim- 
ply an ignoramus, not capable of doing much of either good 
or harm. It cannot be s,aid that he had phenomenal success in 
expounding the word to the soldier boys stationed here at that 
time, but it was fun for the boys, all the same, and thoy at- 
tended services regularly and were gouprous in tlieir treatment 
of "Brother Hyde," who remained here during the conference 
year. 

The circuit had by this time grown to such prop(irti(UH that 
the people thought they were entitled to more recognition l)y 
the Conference by having a more able and experienced man 
sent among them. In answer to this demand Rev. Seymour 
Snyder was assigned to the circuit. His appointment proved 
eminently satisfactory. He was able, honest, earnest and 
genial, and had the ha])])y faculty of ada])ting liimself to his 
surroundings witlnuit friction, and if he could not strictly be 
termed a genius in its expressive sense he evinced a good degree 
of sound sense and capacity for hard work. It was during his 
ministry and under his direction that the first camp meeting 
was held in northwestern Iowa. 

This was in the snminer of 1S(H. Rev. Mr. Lamont of Fort 



THE FIRST CAMP MEETING 305 

Dodge was presiding elder. lie was an alil<' |)vcacli<T and an 
indefatigable worker, and being ablv sccnndcil In Mr. Snyder, 
the result of their united labors was a prDnouneed success. 
This camp meeting was ludd in the grove at what is now known 
as Fort Dodge Point, and was attended bv persons living in 
the four counties forming the circuit. These animal camp 
meetings were kept up and grew annually in attendance and 
importance as the country increased in population. The f<d- 
lowing year and possibly one or two years more the meeting 
"was held in the grove at Dixon's Beach. One year it was held 
near Omaha Beacli, and one at Gilley's Beach, after wliich the 
yearly camp meetings were held on Pillsbury's Point until 
about the year 1878 or 1879, when they were removed to the 
grove adjoining the tOAvn of Spirit Lake. They were kept up 
for a few years longer, and were finally discontinued altogether. 

^[r. Snyder's appointment terminated with the close of the 
conference year, and he was succeeded by Rev. W. A. Richards. 
It was not far from this time, it might have been a year or 
two later, that the circuit was divided, Dickinson and Emmet 
Counties forming one circuit and Clay and O'Brien another. 
Under this arrangement the preacher in charge here gave one 
Sunday to each county alternately. (While this reduced the 
amount of travel materially, their work still was no picnic, 
especially in times of high water and swollen streams. 

The first winter of Mr. Richards' work here was marked by 
the first religious revival in Dickinson County and i)robably 
the first in this portion of the state. A series of revival meetings 
was held in the Center Grove schoolhouse, commencino- some 
time in January and continuing alxint six weeks, during which 
time an intense interest was manifested and large accessions to 
the church was the ivsult. The sclioolhonse where the meetings 
were held was a low log aifair, about fourteen by twenty feet 
in size, but somehow it was made to accommodate large con- 



306 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

gregations. Mr. Richards was kept on this circuit for three 
years, the utmost limit that a preacher was theu allowed to 
stay on one circuit at a time. The names of his successors up 
to 1876 have already been given. It would require too much 
space to treat of the work of each in detail. It is the first, the 
commencement, the jDione^r work in any particular line that 
always interests the reader. 

While but little occurred at this time worthy of record as 
historic events, the ordinary experiences of the average settler 
were such as were calculated to test to the utmost their courage, 
energy, hardihood and perseverance. The dangers they braved 
and the hardshij^s they endured can be better understood by 
giving a few personal adventures and experiences than by 
whole pages of dry descriptions. 

In those early days it was no uncommon experience for the 
country to be swept by storms of terrific violence. These storms 
have since been denominated "blizzards." There has been con- 
siderable controversy among Iowa newspapers regardiiig the 
origin of the term. It was claimed at one time that it origin- 
ated with O. C. Bates, the founder of the JSTorthern Vindicator, 
in Emmet County. ISTow, while there is no doubt that Mr. 
Bates was the first to use the term in a newspaper article, thus 
being the first to launch it on the sea of newspaper nomenclature, 
it did not originate with him. As near as can be traced it was 
brought here from southern Ohio by William Jenkins, one of 
the early settlers living east of Spirit Lake. It used to be a com- 
mon byword among the boys when the conditions of the atmos- 
phere indicated an a])proaching storm, "Well, boys, I guess 
we are going to have one of Uncle l^illy's blizzards." This was 
some years before the founding of the Vindicator by Mr. 
Bates. There is no question the term "blizzard," as designat- 
ing a storm of peculiar force^ and violence, was given to the 
world l)v the earlv settlers of tliis eountv. A late writer in 



BLIZZARDS 307 

the (ircat I)i\i(U' uses the fc)llo\\iii<; language in dcsoribing 
them: 

"Cruel and relentless are the blizzards and to be mucli 
dreaded. The settler away from his farm house in endeavor- 
ing to return while the blizzard is raging is lost and frozen to 
death. He cannot see ten feet ahead of him, for the blizzard 
lias grasped the fine hard snow resembling sand in its icy lin- 
gers and Hings it onward with a blinding force that cuts the 
skin of any one facing the stoi-ni. 

"The cold is intense, and hardly any amount of clothin.ii 
suffices to protect one so piercing is the blast. Lucky is tlie 
wanderer who, under such circumstances, can find a river bluff 
on which may be growing a few clumps of poplars to serve as 
a protecting shield. The spt^d of the wind is often sixty and 
seventy miles an hour, .and when an effort is made to progress 
against it, unconsciously one turns sidewise to it and the lia- 
bility to proceed in a wrong direction is thus increased. For- 
tunately the blizzard blows in one direction, being a straight 
current of wind, and differing in this respect from the cyclone, 
which has a rotary as well as forward motion, and which is of 
unequal violence, varying as is the distance from the center 
of the cyclone current or circle of wind. The small, dry, hard 
l^artick^s of snow are hurried on in blinding sheets l)y the wind, 
so that nothing is seen except a dull grayuess ami the s(^em- 
ingly ceaseless drifting walls of snow particles. 

"The outbuildings in ]\Ianitoba and Dakota are in close prox- 
imity to the settlers' houses as might be exjx'cted, and yet dur- 
ing a blizzard that means business the outbuildings are not 
visible from the house. The farmer who has to go to the shed 
for fuel or to feed his stock attaches around his waist a cord, 
cue end of which ivmains in the liouse, so as to guide him on 
liis return, ^lany lives ha\<' been lost in these cold blizzards. 

"Sometinu's the blizzard blows so hard that som<> have inuiff- 
ined the treeless wastes to be due to this devastating force, and 
the theory is fully as plausible as the (me that the absence of 
trees is due to ]u-airie fire.s. "What becomes of the bli/.zard, 
this Insty and violent son of the Xorth ? Tt would :i|»])car that 
his f(»rce is somewluit dissipat<'d as he spr<'ads himself over 
Xebraska, Towa and the ^lississipjji Valley, Avhere the south 
and west winds are met. Loeking arms with these it nuiv lx» 
that the circling is produced resulting in the cvclone wliich 



308 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

journeys on usually in a brief course as if anxious to separate, 
but these are studies for the weather bureau." 

AVliile these terrific storms were altogether too frequent for 
comfort in an early day, they haye of late years been far less 
frequent and far less yiolent. What effect the cultiyation and 
deyelopment of the country may haye in modifying them can- 
not be known, but we do know that the blizzard of those early 
days is a thing of the past. The last stonn haying all of the 
attributes of the early blizzard was that of January 7, 1873. 
Stcn-ms and heayy snows and yiolent winds we haye had since 
then, but they weren't blizzards. They lacked the blinding, 
stifling, choking, bewildering effect of the earlier storms. The 
dates of a few of the more remarkable blizzards .are giyen 
as follows: December 1, 1856; January 1, 1864; February 
14, 1865; March 5, 1870; January 7, 1873. There were 
numy others during that period, but the dates cannot be definite- 
ly fixed. ^Fucli suffering and a considerable loss of life re- 
sulted from ex])osure to these terrific storms. The following 
instances are given to illustrati> the experiences of the early 
settk'rs ah.Mig this line. ]\Iany more incidents of th(> sanu' gen- 
eral character as the following might be giyen to illustrate 
rlic nature of the obstacles with which the early pioneer had 
to contend, l)ut tliese are deemed suificient. These are not 
given for their historic yalue, or because they are more impor- 
tant than many others that might be given, but are taken ,at 
random from many of the thrilling experiences so conunon at 
that time on the northwestern frontier. 

1'lie fii-st is an experience related by Zina Henderson, who 
lias resided in this county for over thirty-five years, and who 
spent several winters tr.ajiping in the regions to the northwest 
of here, long before settlers had invaded that locality. Mr. 
H<?nderson says : 



EXPERIENCES OF "gUAKEU" TOMl'KIKS AND O'lHEKS 3()9 

"111 tlic mouth of February, Lsiio, a party cousistiug of E. 
V. Oslx)ru, Clayton Tompkins, Kiehard Long, George Barr 
and myself, were trapping' on the Uoek Kiver, our camp l>eing 
situ.ated at the forks of the I\)oek, near where the town of 
Doou has since been located. There was another party in 
camp on the Big Sioux some twenty miles to the northwest of 
us. 'We used to cross back and forth from one camp to the 
other as occasion might re(iuire. At this time there were a 
few soldiers stationed at Sioux Falls, but as yet there were no 
settlers there. Our eamj) at the forks of the Rock was a kind 
of general headcpiarters or su])])ly station for the smaller 
trapping camps in that locality. The trappers used to. have 
their supplies sent out there by the load, from which point 
they were distributed to the smaller c.am])s as needed by such 
means as were available, the little haudsled being the most 
common, although some of the trappers had Indian ponies 
with which they moved their camps. 

"On the fourteenth of February, 18G5, a party consisting of 
Osborn, Tompkins, Long and Barr, left the main camp on the 
Kock to take some supplies over to the camp on the Big Sioux. 
Barr was a member of the camp on the Big Sioux, although 
he had been with us at that time, waiting until some of our 
party could return with him. The party had a pair of ponies 
and a light wagon and were loaded with flour and provisions. 
I remained behind to look after the camp in their absence. 
They left camp not far from nine o'clock in the morning. 
The day was rem.arkably fine and pleasant, and the boys, see- 
ing no occasion for hurrying, took things very leisurely, never 
doubting their ability to reach camp that aftenuxtu, or at 
least, early in the evening. 

"About four o'clock, or when the jiarty were within three 
miles of their destination, the wind suddenly w]iip])e(l around 
into the northwest and the most violent blizzard roi^orded in 
the .annals of northwestern Towa broke upon them in all its 
blinding, bewildering force and fury. Xow many peojjle 
seem to think that if it was to save their lives they could make 
their way for three miles against any storm that ever blew. 
Such people have not met the genuine blizzard. These trap- 
pers were experienced frontiersmen and they knew the coun- 
try. They were not lost, but to make any head whatever 
against that terrific storm they found to be utterly impossil)le. 



310 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

''AVliat was to be done t This was a very pressing question. 
They were among the bluffs along the Big Sioux, and the 
snow was deep in the ravines. They went to work and dug 
a hole in the snow, packed up their flour on the windward 
side of it, and then taking their robes and blankets and hud- 
dling together so far succeeded in making themselves comfort- 
able, tliat had they been contented to stay where they were, 
they would without doubt have been all right in the morning. 
But some of them conceived the idea that if they allowed the 
snow to drift in over them they would be smothered, .and the 
balance gave in to this foolish notion, and so after remaining 
there between two and three hours, they determined to cake 
their back track and if possible reach the camp they had left 
that morning. So digging out from under the snow 
they hitched one pony to the wagon and turned the other loose, 
and then placing the wind to their backs and with no other 
guide than the storm, started on their return trip. 

"The wind howled so that it was impossible to hear each 
other talk at all, and it required the utmost care land skill on 
the part of all to keep near each other. They formed in single 
file, with B,arr in the rear, walking with their heads down, and 
before they were aware of the difhculties in the way of keep- 
ing togetlier, Barr had fallen behind. How long he kept up 
with them or how far he traveled, they never knew. The}'' 
only knew he perished in that fearful storm and his remains 
were never found. The balance of the party pressed on ,and 
reached tlie Bock several miles below the camp they 
left the morning before. Here they found timber and 
succeeded in getting a fire. The wind had abated somewhat, 
so as to make surrounding objects discernible. Two of the 
party had been there before and thought they knew the coun- 
try pretty well. They knew there was another camp near 
where they were, but whether it was u]i or down the river, 
they did not know. Osborn insisted that it was down the river, 
while Tompkins was just as certain that it was up the river, 
and declared that he would not go down the river until he 
was more sure on this point. Accordingly he started out to 
look around and satisfy himself. Up to this time none of the 
party were frozen. They had stood tlieir night tramp through 
the storm without suffering anything more serious than 
fatiffue. 



OTHER INCIDENTS 311 

"Osborii was so sure that the oainj) they were seeking- was 
down the river that he and Long started at once in that direc- 
tion. They were right in their surmise, and struck the eauip 
inside of an hour. After two or three hours the Quaker wan- 
dered into camp in a sad plight. Both of his feet were so bad- 
ly frozen that eventually they had to be amputated. After 
remaining in camp here a couple of days, they b'-ought him 
up to our camp at the forks of the Rock, where everything 
was done for him that could be done. It was .about two weeks 
before he could be taken to Spirit Lake where the amputation 
was performed." 

Uncle Tompkins, as he was familiarly called, was well 
known to all of the old settlers and was a special favorite 
with many of the summer tourists of the earlier days. An- 
other victim of this same storm was a trapper familiarly 
known among the boys as "Uncle Joe." He was trapping at 
one of the camps out west and had come for provisions. 

Hon. D. A. W. Perkins, in his history of Osceola County, 
relates several incidents of the storm of January, I8T0, one 
or two of wliich are of local interest. Mr. ^Vheeler, a brother- 
in-law of Orson Rice, had lived in the town of Spirit Lake 
for a year or two an<l during tlie summer of 1872, took up a 
claim near the state line in Osceola County, south of Round 
Lake. "There was then a postoffice on the Spirit Lake and "Wor- 
thingfoii route, about a mile south of where the town of Round 
Lake now is. It was kept by William Mosier. Mr. Wheeler 
was at the postoffice in Hosier's house when the storm came. 
Wheeler started for home, and imable to find his house, he 
wandered with the storm and at last, exhausted and benuml)ed 
with cold, lay down and died. He got nearly to West Okobo- 
ji Lake in Dickinson County. He was found after the storm 
cleared U]) by ^[r. Tuttle, whose home was not far from Avhere 
Wheeler perished." 

Another incident related by Mr. Perkins is of a Mr. Hamil- 



312 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

ton, a resident of Osceola County, who started that morning 
to go to Milford to milL 

One more incident in this connection must suffice, although 
many might be given. The following description of the wed- 
ding trip of Mr. .and Mrs. A. D. Arthur has been in print be- 
fore, l)ut it was pidjlished anonymously and fictitious names 
used and fur that reason w^as regarded by many as a fancy 
sketch with some grains of truth in it. But the article is 
true in all its details. The intimate friends of ^Ir. ,and Mrs. 
Arthur have often heard them relate the story of their roman- 
tic wedding trij). They were married in February, 186 — , 
and started at once on a visit to Mr. Arthur's old home in 
.Wisconsin. The article referred to was written by Mrs. H. 
H. Kitts, Mrs. Arthur's younger sister, formerly of Lake 
Park, and was published with the "reminiscences of the early 
days" in the Lake Park News, and is in part ,as follows : 

"A single horse and cutter took them well on their way the 
first day. They stopped that night at the home of an acquain- 
tance, starting out bright .and early the next morning, anxious 
to reach the river at La Crosse before it broke up, if possible. 
Early in the forenoon the sun clouded over .and soon the snow 
began to fall again very thickly, and the track, which was 
not plain, owing to the frequent storms and little travel, was 
entirely obliterated, and they could only judge by the direc- 
tion which way to go. The snow continued falling through 
the day, but towards sunset cleared away, and at dusk they 
found they were not on their road, but near a small grove, 
Avith no sight of any habitation. They knew of no other Avay 
of doing but to get into the shelter of the grove and pass the 
night there, which they did, as they had plenty of robes and 
blankets and a . bountiful lunch provided for them by their 
kind hostess of the previous night. The weather grew quite 
Avarm during the night, and when the morning dawned bright 
and clear, they could see a large grove which should have been 
their stopping place for the night, had they not lost their way. 

"The sun very soon commenced so soften the crust on the 
snow and their horse could not Ix^ prevailed upon to go but 



A ROMANTIC WEDDING TRIP 8l3 

fi few steps, as its legs were cut by the sharp crust, and being 
without its noonday, night and morning feed made it stubborn, 
and go it either could not or would not. After consulting 
together for a time, the only thing to be done was for Mr. 
Arthur to go on foot to the gTove, where he knew^ there were 
some settlers, and procure help. Imagine if you can the 
young wife watching her husband as far as she could see him, 
toiling along, breaking through crust and sinking in the snow^ 
over his boot tops at every step, and knowing that the best he 
could do it must be several hours she would be left alone, no 
human l^eing in sight, no living thing but the horse near her. 

"The hours draggccl wearily on, and at last the sun v;ent doAvn 
and no one in sight. The timid girl remembers yet the ter- 
rors of that day and night. Eye and <'ar were strained alike 
to catch some sight or sound of hunuiu aid until her senses 
were gone, when the hungry horse would look at her and give 
a pitiful neigh when she would get out of the sleigh, go to its 
head and putting her arms around its neck, let her feelings 
find vent in tears, until getting too weak and chilled to stand, 
she would climb back into the sleigh, wrap herself in the 
robes and through exhaustion lose herself in a few moments 
of unconscious sleep. At last, a» the moon rose higher, making 
objects as visible as in the daylight, she thought she heard 
voices, and looked away off and saw outlined against the sky 
the forms of three persons, who seemed to her terrified sight 
to be clothed in blankets, and supposed them to be Indians 
who had perhaps murdered her husband and that slie would 
soon share the same fate. 

"She watched them as they drew near, and could distinguish 
voices, but they talked in an unknown tongue, which verified 
h.er feai-ful suspicions, and witli a thought of the loved ones 
at home who would mourn her tragic death, she covered her- 
self compk'tely in the rolx>s and waited for the final moment. 
Soon .a hand was laid on her shoulder and a gruff but kindly 
voice said in broken speech, "Hello ! You aslee]i V She threw 
aside the robes and looked into the faces of three white men 
who could none of them, except one, speak a word of English. 
She was too weak and frightened to speak, but reached out 
her hand, wbicli they took in kindly elasp, and the one who could 
speak so as to be understood told her of her husband's .arrival 
at his house late in the afternoon, nearlv exliausted. He told 
them wliere and liow he liad left liis wife and begged them to 



314 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

go back with him for her. They promised speedy assistance, 
but the first man was obliged to go to his nearest neighbor, 
about a mile away, for snowshoes, as that was their only way 
of getting over the deep snow. They persuaded him to remove 
his boots, which were full of snow, and take a cup of coffee 
while they were getting things ready, which he did, begging 
them to be as speedy as possible, as he feared his wife would 
die of fright. 

"After taking off his boots his limbs began to swell at a 
rapid rate, and when at last the men returned with the neigh- 
bor who had proffered his assistance, Mr. Arthur found him- 
self unable to move his limbs without great pain, and to put 
his boots on was simply an impossibility. The Norwegians 
assured him they could find his wife and bring her to the 
house much quicker than if he were with them, as in his ex- 
hausted state he could not keep up with them. He bade them 
make haste, promising them a liberal reward when they had 
brought his wife safely to him. When they had found her 
and convinced her of her husband's safety, they drew the cut- 
ter farther into the shelter of the grove, built a huge fire and 
spread the rol>es on the snow around it, seated themselves near 
and ate a lunch, proffering her a share, which she was obliged 
to decline, ,as she was too weak and chilled to feel any desire 
for food. The reaction from the terrible strain proved too 
much for the slender frame and weak nerves, and a half hour 
of unconsciousness followed. (When at last her senses returned 
she found herself lying on the robes close to the fire, with the 
kind and anxious faces of the three perplexed men around 
her, one clasping her hands, and another Ivathing her temples 
with water, and still another holding a cup of steaming coffee 
to her lips, which she was soon able to swallow. 

"It revived her greatly and after a few moments she was 
able to sit up .and thank tliem for their kindness. They 
waited for a time that she might get tlio roughly warmed and 
rested, and then prejiared to start for tlicir home, knowing 
well the anxiety of the waiting ones there. ]\rany efforts 
were nuide to induce the horse to lead, but he would not stir, 
and th'ey found they must leave him. They ]ilaced ^Frs. 
Arthur back in the sleigh, wrapping her warmly in tlie robes, 
and started l)ack, two of tliem drawing the cuttei- by liand. 
At times wlien it would l)reak tlirongh tlu^ drifts, they would 
lift her carefullv out and on to where the crnst was liarder. 



A ROMANTIC WEDDING TRIP 315 

and then pull the sleigh through to solid crust again, then re- 
place her and make another start. 

"At four o'chx'k in the uiorning they struck their own traveled 
road and hurried along home. * * * After two or three 
hours' sleep, they breakfast<ed and prepared to resume their 
journey, which they found they must do with a sled drawn hy 
oxen, as that was the only mode of conveyance available. The 
horse was left on the prairie for ten days, the ^Norwegians tak- 
ing out hay and grain each day until the snow had thawed 
enough that he was willing to follow them home, where they 
kept him until called for. 

'^The remainder of the trip was made first in the ox sled, 
next in a sleigh dra^^^l by a mule a peddler had been driving, 
which would persist in stopping at every house on the road 
f«»r a short time, then a team of horses was procured, which 
took them to the river just as it was on the point of breaking 
up, making it unsafe for travel. Mrs. Arthur was dmwn over 
on a handsled and at that point. La Crosse, tihey took the 
train and were soon at the end of their journey, and, I ven- 
ture to say, there are but few young couples living who have 
tried as many different modes of locomotion as they did on 
that never-to-be-forgotten bridal trip." 




CILAPTKli XXV. 

THE SKTTLKMKXT AT I.A K KV 1 l.l.K IN 1^00— TIIK 

FIRST AFTKK TIIK CLOSK OF IMIK WAU THE WET 

SUMMEi: Ill(;il PRICES FOi; I-ROVISIONS THE 

FIRST SETTLERS IX TllK ( )T II KU TOWNS— THE 

FFEE (iFESTIOX HFRNINC; HAY HFRNlNti CORN 

THE son SHANTY. 

VTFAl the close of tin- war tlu" ride of oini,urati(.ii turned 
this way l)Ut >lnwly. Some few wIk. enlisted from 
this county returne.l t.. their places in the summer and 
fall of 1865. It will be remembered that of those 
enlisting from this county a majority served in the Sioux City 
Cavalry. They were discharg-ed in December, 1804, after 
liaviuu- served about three years and four months. Some of 
them came back at once, especially those whose families were 
here. Others who had sent their families away temporarily to 
places of greater safety eam<^ back the following year. 

There was no new emigration of any account until the 
spring of 1806 and but little then. Al)out that time a party 
consisting of Joshua A. Pratt, George W. Pratt^ Josi^ph A. 
Green, A. Price and some others came in and made the tirst 
settlement at Lakevilh-. Another ]K.rty, consisting of James 
lleldridge, George Walbu-e. F. C nn.l IsraM Doolittle, came 
in a little lat<'r and took claims on the prairie. They bought 
a tindMM- lot in the Okolx.ji Gr<.ve, built snudl cabins and win- 
tered in the gn.v<-, then moved to their claims the following 
s])ring. E. J. Davis an.l dcrry Kiiowlton came in tlie same 
sumnier ,as tlie others and took (daims in the same neighbor- 
hood. A. 1). Inman. Walbicc Smith and a few others also came 
that same season. 



318 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

This fact is mentioned here, not as being more important 
than other accessions to the population of the county that came 
in shortly .after, hnt it is of interest from the fact that it was 
the first after the collapse of emigration at the breaking out 
of the Civil War. The smiimer of 1866 was a very wet one, 
resembling that of 1858, only worse if anything. There had 
been but little raised here the year before, and there w.as a 
general scarcity throughout the entire north part of the stat€, 
which, together with the impassable condition of the roads, 
sent grain and provisions up to a fabulous figure. 

As yet there were no bridges. The streams were swimming 
deep and the sloughs were full of water and the roads were 
absolutely impassable. Mankato and Fort Dodge w^ere the 
nearest points where supplies could be obtained. Flour re- 
tailed as high as thirteen dollars per hundred. Prices reached 
the highest point in the spring of 1867. At that time corn 
sold as high ,as two dollars per bushel as far down as in Poca- 
hontas County, and oats at a dollar and a half. Other prices 
w^ere equally exorbitant. Of course this condition of affairs 
blocked emigration, or at least postponed it for a year or two. 
Still there M^ere a few with the necessary staying qualities 
to grapple with the difficulties of making a settlement, even 
under these adverse circumstances. 

In addition to those whose names have already been given 
.as coming in the summer and fall of 1866, w^ere John and 
James Skirving^ Joseph Austin, W. S. Beers, John and ^Files 
Strong and a few others in the south part of the county. In 
the north part of the county there came about this time L. W. 
Waugh, K. C. Lowell, George C. Bellows, O. Crandall, Cur- 
tis Crandall, A. A. Mosher, Lauriston Mead, A. D. Arcy, Wil- 
liam and Jolni TJptagr.aft, Chauncey and Nelson Kead and a 
few others. Almut tlie same time, or perhaps a little earlier, 
Rev. SevnK»ur Snvdcr filed a claim embracinc the famous 



HOMESTEADS AND PREEMPTIONS 319 

iiiiiHT.al -priiii: <iii the west side of 'West Okohoji, wliioh Avas 
tlio tivsr c-laiiii Uikcii on ilinl side of the lake. Shortly after 
livx. W. A. Kiclianls scttliMl near tlio north end of the lake. 

The teniiri "Homestead Law" and ''Preemption Law" have 
been used to some extent in these paiies and it is possible tlioir 
meaiiinii' is not as well kiiowii now as they were in j)i()n(H'r 
days. Under the i)reemption law, a man, by sending to the 
local land office, which for this region was in Sionx City, one 
dollar and a notice stating that on a certain date he liad en- 
tered npon and improved a certain tract of government land 
and tliat lie (dainied the same as a ])recnipti()n right, was en- 
titled to one year in which to prove up and make payment for 
the same on land tkat had been offered for sale in the open 
market, and on land that had not been so offered, his right 
Avas good nntil it was proclaimed for sale. The price was one 
dollar and a quarter per acre, .although, many procured sol- 
diers' land warrants or college scrip at prices ranging from 
seventy-five cents to a dollar an acre. 

Under the homestead law, a man was required to pay an 
advance fee of ten dollars and file witili the Register of the 
Land Office his affidavit that at a certain date he entered ujion 
and claimed a certain tract of land under the provisions of 
ihe homestead act, giving the date. A person had six months 
in which to get to living on his homestead, and after five 
years' continnons residence, could prove up and ])erfect his title 
and the land was his. 

Of course there were a great many details to both the home- 
stead and preemption laws that have not been given. The first 
settlers, those living around tlie lakes and groves, took their 
hind under tlu' ])reem])tion law, as the homestead law had not 
then been passed ; those coming later, under the homestead 
law, althougli wlien tlie latter went into effect a great many 
changed from prccniption to iionicstciid. '{'he only oj)por- 



320 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

tunity there has ever been for buying- government land by pri- 
vate entry in this county was about this time. 

The manner of bringing land into market was for the Presi- 
dent to direct the Commissioner of the General Land Office 
to issue a proclamation offering the land in certain townships 
for s.ale to the highest bidder for cash. This auction sale was 
kept open a certain number of days and while it lasted no 
land could be l)0uglit in any other manner than by bidding for 
it. After the close of the public sale the land was siil)jecr to 
entry at the standard price of one dollar and a quarter per 
acre. 

All of the Land in this county except Center (rrove and 
Spirit Lake townships, had bcxni proclaimed for sale some time 
during Johnson's administration, and after the close of the 
public sale, was kept open for sale by private entry until 18(V.i 
or 1870, when it was withdrawn to allow the railroads whose 
grants extended into the county to file their plats and have 
the land to which they were entitled by the terms of the grant 
certified to them. The two roads receiving grants of land in 
this county were the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- 
ro.ad, then known as the McGregor & Sioux City, and the 
St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, then known as the St. Paul 
& Sioux City. 

Under the terms of their grant they were entitled to all of 
the odd numbered sections for a distance of ten miles on each 
side of their surveyed line, but inasmuch as through the east 
part of the state and as far west ,as the Des Moines River the 
land had l)cen entered up previous to this time, the Chicago, 
Milwaukee & St. Paul Company were granted as indemnity 
lands the odd numbered sections on an additional strip of an- 
other ten miles on each side of the line, which in effect gave 
them nearly all of the odd numbered sections in this county. 
At the time the land was withdrawn from private entry but few 



RAILROAD LANDS 321 

entries had been made. The Davidson ranch of twenty-funr 
hundred acres, southwest of ^lilford, was entered in 1868, and 
Doctor T^wis of ]\rankato entered several sections west of tlie 
Sioux about the same time. A few minor entries were made 
by other parties, but the total amount of land that was entered 
by private parties up to that time .as an investment was but 
little more than half a township. 

The Iowa Agricultural College located a few sections of its 
grant in this county, while Ringgold County located the in- 
demnity land which she received in lieu of her swamp land 
here. Thus it will be seen that taking out the railroad land, 
the college land, the school land, the indemnity laml ami The 
land sold at private entry, it left less than one-third of the 
public domain of the county subject to preemption and home- 
stead by settlers. As was before stated, the land was with- 
drawn from sale to allow the railroad (•oni})anies to file their 
plats and make their selections, and was never restored, thus 
leaving tlie balance, wliatcvcr it \va>, subject to settlement un- 
der the homestead law. 

It will b;' inipos-iibk' hciiccfortli to gixc many details of events 
in the order of their occurrences as tliey wmild Ix-come too volum- 
inous and uninteresting. There are but few events in the later 
settlement of the country that can claim particular notice as l3e- 
ing more important than others occurring at the same -time, or as 
being more than ,an everyday occurrence in any locality. 
Even if it were desirable, there is neither time nor space to 
mention the settlers by name, to give the date of their settle- 
ment, the numbers of land claimed and other things Avhich 
are sometimes given in works of this kind. Such details soon 
become monotonous and have but little interest for the gen- 
eral reader. 

It w.as not until 1868 and 1869 that persons in search of a 
location would consent to settle on the prairie away from the 



322 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

lakes and groves, and from that time nntil the vacant prairie 
was all taken np the settlement was quite rapid. 11,'omesteads 
w^re taken in all parts of ithe county and a general revival 
of life and activity was the result. During the summers of 
1S0!> and ISTO ([uitc a large colony came from the neighbor- 
hood of Ossian, in Winneshiek County. This was brought 
about largely through the active efforts of A. L. Sawyer, C. 
H. Ayers and a few others. Prominently among the arrivals 
of that period w-vw A. M. Johnson, \V. W. Stowe, William 
Vreeland, L. J. .and L. W. Vreeland, James and John Robb, 
H. C. and E. Freenuin, T. Pegdon, C. E. West, R. C. and 
John Johnson, A. (J. and ('. E. Sawyer, L. E. Ilolcomb, Wiley 
Lambert, Samuel Allen and numerous others. ]\[ost of the 
Winneshiek emigration settlcci in th<' nortlieast })ortion of the 
county. Many of them lef^ .again at the time of the grass- 
hopper raid two or thr<;e years later. They had been here just 
long enough to spend everything they had in opening new 
places and not long enough to realize anything fr(aii tlieni. 

Simultaneously wiHi this movement from Winneshiek 
County was another and similar one from Mitchell County. 
The leaders in this enterprise were James and John Kil]»at- 
rick, R. B. and (Hark N^icol, G. S. Xeedham, Leonard and 
Ellis Smith, James II. Heebe, Benjamin Peck, Samuel Walker, 
Richard and Samuel Campb{dl, IX C. ]\roore and some tif- 
teen or twenty more from Mitchell County, together Avith a 
large number from other places. Prominent among these 
were G. Anderson, J. Sid, W. H. Anderson, R. K. Stetson, 
Samuel Bartlett, Robert Middleton and his sodis, Henry, S. 
P. and George H. Middleton, LT. TI. Canijilx-ll and several 
others. 

There were from tliirty to tifty families eonn(H'ted with the 
niov<'nienr. J I. J. and Daniel Bennett have already been men- 
tioned .ainoiiii' the iirrivals of 1800 and 18()1. Soon after com- 



EMIGRATION IN 1869 323 

iiiU" here 1). ncimctt ciilisrcd niid went south, wlicrc he served 

until discluu'irctl in \sV,-2. \' \ liis nMuni II. d. ('ulist<'d in 

the Second Iowa (Javalrv ami served to the close of the war. 
In 1868, they, together with l^v. Samuel Pillsbury, an- 
other of the earlier settlers, joined in the new settlement at 
Lakeville, which sodu hccauic a ilccidcilly livtdy nciiihlinrhoud. 
A ])ustofiice was established and maiutiiiued f<»r several years, 
with n. J. Bennett as postmaster, and a larue schoolhonse 
bnilt, which at the time was the largest in the county. The 
center of this settlement was near the corner of the four town- 
ships, LakevilU', Excelsior, ()ki)l)oji and Westport. Pmbably 
no other settlement in the county was so utterly demoralized 
by the grasshop])er raid as the one at Lakeville. 

In Ixichland township the more prominent of the tirst set- 
tlers were E. V. Davis, -W. B. Flatt, William Campbell, J. ('. 
Davis, Randolph Freeman, David Farnkam, G. W'. and 11. X. 
Morse, Jacob Groee, Gid ]Mott, X. J. Woodiu, G. Patterson, 
F. !Nr. Snow, Aaron Shultz and Simon Young. Most of these 
were here long enough to make substantial improvements and 
become identified with the after-growth of the place, ^fany 
others came in and made homestead claims, but either s(dd 
out or abandoned them without making much imin'ovement. 
Of course this refers to the period i)revious to the grasshopper 
raid. There was a general change after that event. A few of 
these old timers as E. V. Davis, W. B. Flatt, Gid :\rott and 
the family of A. Shultz and ])ossil)ly a few others have stayed 
by through all the changes that hav{' occurred since the first 
settlement, and have witnessed its development from a wild, 
desolate prairie to a prosperous agricultural community. The 
township was organized in 1872. Th<' name w.as first sug- 
gested by 'W. B. Flatt and adopted by the township trustees. 

The conditions attending the first settlement in Lloyd 
townshiji, which was named after i»ne of its first s(^t^rl<'rs, John 



324 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Lloyd, were similar to those already noted for Richland. The 
first settlement was made in 18()i», the early settlers being 
John B. Smith, John Lloyd, John 'Wilkinson .and Ole Gilbert- 
son in the Avest part of the township, with Joseph Kinney, A. 
G. Saxe and J. Johnson on the north. Berg Bergeson and 
quite a colony of jS^orwegians occupied the east part. Other 
early settlers were J. S. Bingham, R. R. Ilaugen, A. Dodge, 
G. S. Randall, M. Chappell and several others. The Norwe- 
gians in the east part of the township transacted the most of 
their business at Estherville, so that they were not as well 
known here as the balance of the settlers. 

The development of the township since the grasshop])er in- 
vasion, although slow at first, h.as been stable and substantial. 
As before stated, the township was named for John Lloyd, 
one of its first settlers. Other prominent settlers in these 
townships at that thime were, in Lakeville, Samuel and T. 
Emerson, James Stinehart, John and Jake Snyder, George 
Edmunds and a few others, and in Westport, J. Lusian, C. 

Ladd, Randall Root, J. Putnam, White .and several 

others whose stay was temporary. 

Okoboji was one of the older townshi2)s and its first settle- 
ment noticed fartlier back. Indeed all of the settlements for 
the first ten years were confined to the three townships. Cen- 
ter Grove, Spirit Lake and Okoboji. The other nine were 
in 1868 and 1869, .although the boundaries were no^t estab- 
lished until 1872. The name Lakeville is in consequence of 
the many small lakes in the township together Avitli the fact 
that 'West Okoboji forms almost tlie entire eastern boundary. 
IT. eT. Bennett and J. Ileldridge are responsible for the name. 
G. Anderson first suggested Excelsior as a proper name for 
that township. R. A. Smith is responsible for naming Oko- 
boji, and Seymour, Foster & Company, Milford. Center 
Grove was the name applied to the principal grove in the 



EMIGRATION IN 1S69 325 

township long before it was applied to the township at lariic 
The name Silver Lake was applied to the lake by the old trap- 
pers long before a name was wanted for the to^^^lsllip. On 
the contrary Diamond Lake was named by the first settlers, 
as that n,ame was not known among the trapi^crs. 

Diamond Lake was first settled in 1869 and 1870. The 
first settlers were M. W. Lenimon, P. P. Pierce, P. ^NTelson, 
A. J. Welch, O. |W. Savage, O. Sanford, Peter Vick, J. T., 
J. R. and H. Tnttle, William and L. 11. Vreeland, G. Horn, 
S. W. Harris and several others. A. J. Welch w.as a veteran 
of the Mexican Avar. So far as known, he and Christopher 
Davidson of Center Grove were the only ^Fexiean veterans 
settling in this connty. Bnt few of the firsrt, settlers snrvived 
the grasshoppers. The more prominent of these were M. W. 
Lemmon, the Vreelands, the Horns, Peter Vick, A. J. Welch 
and possibly one or two others. Of the settlement and growth 
of the township since that time, it will be impossible to write 
in detail. 

The first set^flement in Superior township was made as 
early as 1807 by Robert McCnlla .and his sons. He was soon 
followed by others in the southeast corner of the township. 
!^^r. McCnlla had the distinction of having the largest family 
ever residing in the connty, he having a't one time twenty- 
three living children. Estherville was the trading place of 
these first settlers in the east part of the township. Promi- 
nent among those Avho came a little later were R. S. Hopkins, 
Oscar Xorby, Gilbert Anderson, Alfred Davis, ^F. and C. 
Reiter, John Morgan, Fred Jacobs and possibly some others. 

A few of these old timers, R. S. Hopkins, O. Xorby and a 
few (»th<'rs, an* still living on the old places. Some have passed 
over the river and their homesteads I'einnin in the possession 
of snr\'iving mendxM's of the family. In adilition to those 
already mentioned, there were a laru'c' nnmbcr that took 



326 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

claims and some had luiilt ])retty fair houses, that is, fair fur 
that time, but during the grasshopper visitation they Aveakened 
and either abandoned their places or sold out for what they 
could get, which in most instances was little enough. The town 
was organized in 1872. It is supposed R. S. Hopkins is re- 
sponsible for the name. He, togctlier with Gilbert Anderson, 
Robert McCulla, O. Xorl)y and the Everetts, who came a lit- 
tle later, were in some way connected with all the early enter- 
prises incident to the growth and development of the town- 
ship. 

To persons settling on the open prairie the fuel question was 
an .all important one. At first it was the practice of those who 
took up claims on the prairie to buy a timber lot of from one 
to five acres and cut the timber off as their necessities required. 
In this manner most of the groves were divided uji and their 
timber taken off. This practice accounts for many of the care- 
less, irregular and perplexing descriptions with which the 
county records are encuml)ered. A man who wanted to buy 
a wood lot would go to the owner, and together they would 
pace it off from some known cornei'. Then they would make 
a description which they thoughti would cover it, and a deed 
won hi be made, the purchaser caring little what his title was 
or wliother his descri])tion was correct or not so long ,as he was 
not (!isturb<'d while taking off the tind)er. These lots were 
afterwar<ls sold for a mere nominal sum. I'lie three acres 
comprising the Okoboji Cemetery were purchased f«»r $2.r)0. 
These careless descriptions and titles have since then been the 
source of much vexation. But some were not able to buy tim- 
l)er lots, and those that were found that when they lived 
from five to fifteen miles from their timber patch it required 
a vast amount of hard work to keep up their needed supjily 
of fuel. In many instances it was necessary to leave home 
before daylight in tlie morning, taking the "little dinni'r ])air' 



THE FUKL QUESTION 327 

along, work all <lay prcjtariiii: a Innil of wnod, ami tlicii. it 
they suceeedccl in rcai-hiuii home in the early eveiiinu', they 
had made a i)rotty good day of it. 

Bur it was to those who hadn't the timber lot nor means to 
hny fuel that the country was indebted for a practical solution 
of the fuel problem. The use of prairie hay for fuel origi- 
nated in this county and was })racticed to a limited extent as 
early as 1870, but its use never became* so general here as in 
Osceola and O'Brien Counties. At first thought it would 
seem impossible to maintain existence, and much less to enjoy 
any comfort from it, with nothing but prairie hay for fuel, 
but necessity is am apt teacher and the frontiersman a (juick 
learner. 

In a short time the art of twisting hay for fuel came to l>e 
an acknowledged accomplishment. After throwing a lock of 
coarse slough hay upon the ground, placing the left foot upon 
it, and then with the right hand taking enough of the coarse 
grass to make .a rojx? of the required size, twisting it hard and 
drawing it out at the same time until it had reached the re- 
quired length, then it was coiled back upon itself and the ends 
neatly secured, thus resembling in shape an enormous old- 
fashioned Xew England doughnut. Tn many families it came 
to be a part of the daily routine to twist hay enough in the 
evening to answer for the following day's fuel. The litter 
which the use of it caused was something to which it was ditli- 
eult for the neat and thrifty Imusewife to accustnm herself, 
but in the langiLage of a sturdy boy of that jxTJod, "Tn was 
a heap better than freezing." 

One thrifty inventor thought to make his fortune by invent- 
ing a hay twister, which, by the way, did very good work. 
Another inveiit<'d a stove for bni'uini:' hay under ))ressTire 
which was really a success and would have gone intn lu-etty 
general use l>ut for the fact that htiildim:' i-ailroads through 



328 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the conntry brought down the price of coal and enhanced the 
price of hay so that burning coal was the cheapest. 

Burning corn was also practiced in some localities. Corn 
on the cob makes an excellent fuel, comparing well with either 
wood or coal, and with the low prices prevailing in many 
places in the IWest, was as cheap as anything, yet there were 
many who found it hard to reconcile themselves to burning 
corn for fuel. Man;f can remember the adverse criticisms in- 
dulged in by Avi-iters in the eastern papers condemning the 
wastefulness of the western people in using an article of food 
for that purpose. A moment's consideration will illustrate 
how senseless these criticisms were. In using corn for fuel 
they were using an article that one season would reproduce, 
while the wanton destruction of the eastern forests that is con- 
tinually going on cannot l>e remedied in a hundred years and 
probably never will be. 

Another makeshift of this period was the sod shanty, .and it 
is truly wonderful the amount of genius that may be expend- 
ed in the construction of a sod shanty. There was as much 
difference in the construction, appearance and arrangement 
of the sod shanties of those times as has been expended on the 
more pretentious residences that have succeeded them. Some 
had the rare faculty of endowing these primitive abodes with 
an air of comfort, convenience and even neatness, so as to give 
them a real homelike apjiearance. Others remained what 
they were at first, simply a hole in the ground. But the sod 
shanty era Avas of short duration. The opening up of the 
country by l)nil(llii<i railroads through it, placed building ma- 
terial M'ithin reach of the settlers, .and as soon as circumstances 
would permit, the sod shanty was replaced by a more preten- 
tious abode, but the memory of life in a sod shanty, with twist- 
ed hay for fuel, will l)e among the early recollections of many 
wlio now rank among the more prominent and progressive citi- 
zens of nortlnvestorn Tow.a. 




I 




CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE SIOUX CITY S: ST. PAUL RAILROAD THE 

BUII/DIXG OF THE ZMIEFOKD MILLS SJ:VERAL 

COXTROVERSIES THE I,EVEL OF THE WATER IX 

THE LAKES THE COURTHOUSE BURNED AX- 
OTHER OXE BUILT OX THE SAME SITE. 

T '^^'ILL be remembered that the ])assage of the law 
granting land for the building of the St. Paul & 
Sioux City Railroad was what first attracted the atten- 
tion of the early settlers to this county and induced 
them to make their selections here. The first grant applied 
exclusively t(» ^Minnesota and did not affect Iowa at all, but in 
1865 Congress passed another law granting the Sioux City 
& St. Paul road through Iowa the same subsidies that w«re 
granted to the St. Paul & Sioux City road through ]\Iinne- 
sota ten years before. Originally two companies controlled 
that line. The Minnesota end of the line was knoAvn as the 
St. Paul & Sioux City road, while the Iowa end was known 
as the Sioux City & St. Paul road. This was due to tijiie 
fact that neither state would turn its grant over to a foreign 
company, but insisted on having a resident company ; accord- 
ingly, when the Iowa grant was made a local company M-as 
organized in Sioux City with J. C. C. Hoskins, president, and 
S. T. Davis, secretary, for the development of the Iowa end 
of the line. The two roads were afterwards consolidated. 

A law was also passed at this time granting a subsidy of 
land for l)nilding the McGregor ».V Western road, which 
became a part of the Chicago, ]\ril\vaukee (Sc St. Paul system. 
The prospect of the early completion of these roads gave quite 
an impetus to emigration. The St, Paul & Sioux City Com- 



THE SIOUX CITY i ST. PAUL R. R. 331 

paiiy, ill locating' tlu'ir Hik', touiid tkat tliey coulil get a 
larger quantity of land by swinging around to the west, and 
accordingly did so, thus passing through Osceola County in- 
stead of this, as w.as the original expectation. The road was 
completed in the fall of 1871 and for the next eight years, or 
until the Chicago, Milwaukee (fc St. Paul was completed to 
Spencer, stations on that route were the nearest railroad points 
for the people of this county. <Tlie inhabitants in the north 
part of the county divided tlieir patronage about e(iually be- 
tween Worthington, Sibley and Windom, the distance to either 
place being about the sam^. The south part of the county 
transacted their business almost entirely at Sibley. This stajte 
of aifairs continued in force until the build inc: of the Chicago, 
^filwaukee t^- St. Paul, tjie main line of which w.as built 
through Spencer in the fall of 1878. 

In the early days this county was noted for the fine quality 
of wheat raised here, but inasmuch as there were no mills 
short of Mankato or Fort Dodge, but little attention was given 
to its production. As the population increased the want of 
a good flouring mill was keenly felt. It was generally be- 
lieved that the outlet to the lakes would furnish a sufficient 
water power for that purpose. Indeed an attempt was made 
to improve it as early as 1801 by J. S. Prescott and TTenrv 
]\reeker, who went as far as to put up a frame and get in the 
machinery for a first-class mill, but getting discouraged at the 
time of the rndi.an raid of 1802 and the extremely low water 
occasioned I)y the druutli (d" that and the following vear, they 
sold off the machinery and abandoned tlu' Jtroject, and the 
country had to depend ujx.ii the distant points for breadstuff s. 

In th." fall of 1808, Mr. A. I). Foster of IFudson, Wiscon- 
sin, in coiiipany with Fraidv IJoyd of Ihmiboldt Countv in 
this state, visited this ])l.ace in sean-li of a location for erect- 
ing a flouring mill. Mv. Foster had been traveliiiii' extensive- 



332 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

ly throiigli northwestern Iowa and southern Minnesota in 
search of a suitable location for that purpose, and not having 
found anything that fully suited him, he had about given up 
the object of his search when he fell in company with Frank 
Boyd at Fort Dodge. Mr. Boyd had visited the vicinity of the 
lakes the June previous and had noticed the fact that their out- 
let would probably furnish a water power of more than ordinary 
value. After making the acquaintance of Mr. Foster he told 
him of his trip to the lakes and induced liim to 
go u]5 there and make an examination for himself, 
at the aame time offering to accompany him on the 
trip. They arrived here some time in the month of Sep- 
tember and Mr. Foster Avas so Well pleased with the appear- 
ance of the country at large and with the water power afforded 
by the lakes that he decided to look no further but to locate 
here and commence operations as soon as possible. He imme- 
diately returned to Wisconsin, where he made the necessary 
preparations and returned here some time in the month of 
October, when he made his selection of a location and com- 
menced operations at once. The site selected had previously 
been taken as a homestead, but afterwards abandoned. Mr. A. 
T). Inman and Wallace Smith were the only persons living 
in that locality. 

The labor and expense necessary for the accomplishment 
of an enterprise of that kind was a different thing then from 
what it would be at present. Labor was high and provisions 
remarkably dear. The nearest railway station was at J\ran- 
kato, and everything had to 1x3 transported by team from 
there. Again, the nature of the ground required the work to 
be done on .a more extensive scale than was at first contem- 
plated and the fact soon became apparent to Mr. Foster that 
the expense of getting the mill into operation would be more 
than double his original estimate and greater than he was 



THE MILFORD MILL 



333 



at that time prepared to meet. To abandon the enterprise 
would be to lose the considerable amount already expended 
and also to relinquish what promised to be, if properly de- 
veloped, one of the biggest things in the Xorthwest; while to 
proceed was to subject himself to uninterrupted toil, priva- 
tion, anxiety and embarrassment. He decided to accept the 
latter .alternative and take the chances. The people in that 
locality were much interested and favored the project by every 
means in their power. :\rr. R. E. AVilcox had charge of build- 
ing the mill. 

The sawmill was put in operation July 4, 18G0, .and tihe 
gristmill in the December following. The success of the mills 
was complete from the start. The flouring mill commanded 
work from a range of country nearly seventy miles in every 
direction and it was no uncommon occurrence for thirty or 
forty teams to be camped there at a time waiting their turns 
for getting their grists and it finally became necessary to 
have their grists registered months in advance. Of course, this 
state of affairs was a harvest for the proprietors and they 
soon succeeded in relieving themselves of the embarrassment 
occasioned by the extra cost and outlay to which they had sub- 
jected themselves in thus exceeding their original plan. 

A question out of which, has grown a considerable strife 
and contention is the right of the mill company to maintain 
an auxiliary dam for the ])urpose of regulating the flow of 
water. The very first act of Mr. Foster when he commenced 
operations for building his mill was to throw a dam across 
the outlet at the foot of the lake so as to stop the flow of 
water. The season being dry and the water low, this' was an 
easy job. A half day with two or three men and a team was 
sufficient to accomi)Hsh it. l)Ut during the winter there were 
heavy snows followed by heavy rains in the spring, thereby 
causing a material ri.-^c in the lakes, and Foster was obliged to 



334 DICKINSON COUNTY ■ IOWA 

build lip and strengthen his ii})per dam accordingly. This state 
of affairs continued two or three years, .at the end of which time 
the mill company had a strong dam in there some six or seven 
feet high and solid in proportion. 

At the first Mr. Foster had no thought of uiaintaining this 
upper dam permanently but simply put it in as a protection 
for his main work while building, with the intention of re- 
moving it as soon as his main dam was completed. But the 
high water of two or three seasons about that time soon made 
it evident that they were at any time liable to be overwhelmed 
with more water than they had made provision' for, .and con- 
sequently the upper dam was allowed to remain. 

Just i^revious to this time Stimpson had been ov<'rhauling 
the "old red mill" on the isthmus, and had just commenced 
business when the sudden and unparalleled rise in the lower 
lake so backed the water into his race that he claimed it ma- 
terially affected the efficiency of his water power and presented 
a claim to Foster for damages. Foster did not acknowledge 
the \'alidity of his claim, but rather than go into court at that 
lime, he com])i'omised with him. In addition to the money 
consideration, one of the conditions of this compromise was 
that the lower lakes should be drawn down to a certain point 
by the first day of September. A dry summer following the 
Avet spring made this ]).art of the sti])ulation possible; but this 
was only the commencement of the trouble. 

As has been before stated, Stimpson in l.'^TO disposed of 
liis mill on the isthmus to (). ('om])ton, who overhauled it, 
jMitting in entirely new machinery. But his wheel was so 
large and the lioad so low that it took n perfect fiood of water 
to run it, and soon Spirit Lake l>cg,nii to draw down, while 
Okoboji was higher than ever, ('onipton now nnidc his claim 
for damages by ''backwater." 



SEVERAL CONTROVERSIES 335 

This tilt" owners (»i" tlic Milford iiiiTl refused to allow. They 
t^aw that thev would soon hv eomptdled to take a .stand and 
defend themselves and tlu-v niiiiht as well do it then as any 
time, and so refused all terms of eom])romise. This so en- 
raged Compton's friends that a i)arty of them, some fifteen or 
twenty strong, went down for the purpose of destroying- the 
npjK'r dam. They tilled .a jug wiili powdci-, attach<'d a piece 
of fuse thereto, and ])lacing if under the planking of the waste 
gate, they succeeded in hlowing it out. The niill company 
at once put on a force of men and soon had the dam so far 
repaired as to have everything safe once more. Tn a short 
time Compton's men came down a second time and tore out 
the dam, this time more thoroughly than before. Again the 
mill conn)any put on men and repaired the damages. Tn this 
way the contention was kept u]) for some time, l>ut iin.ally it 
began to l)e apparent that the isthnuis water ])ower was a fail- 
ure. When the lake was drawn down it was too long tilling 

UJ). 

After the controversy l)etween the owners of the two mills 
was closed, parties owning land bordering on the lako began 
to claim <lanuiges by reason of their low land being ovci-flowed, 
or the banks of \ho\Y laud being caved off by the action of the 
water. There were several cases of this kind, but only <»ne 
of them ever came to trial in the courts. That was the one 
of B. B. Van Steenburg, which was stubbornly (Muitested by 
both sides, and finally decided in favor of the mill coiiij)any. 
\i\u Steenburg appealed to the suj)reni<> court., where the d(^- 
cision of the district court was affirmed, bnt this decision did 
not decide anything, from tlu* fact that the sujireme court in 
rendering it saiil that the testimony was so conflicting that 
they did not fed jnstitied in distnrbing tln' decision of the 
lower court. 



336 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Several other cases were in process of l)eing worked up, 
but this decision bj the supreme court discouraged them and 
they were never brought to trial. In the meantime the upper 
(lam has been destroyed and rebuilt at pretty regular inter- 
vals by different parties as their interests seemed to dictate, 
while the vexed question of rights of parties is just as far 
from being settled as ever and public opinion shifts from one 
side of the question to the other just as the water in the lakes 
shifts from high to low .and back again. For the last few years 
the continued dry seasons have so affected the stage of water 
in the lakes that it is difficult to believe that for years they 
afforded a water power of great value. But such was the case 
nevertheless. 

'The question of the rise and fall and average level of the 
v\'ater in the lakes is one that has first and last attracted a 
great deal of attention and caused a great deal of speculation. 
The question is of such importance that every known fact 
tending in any w,ay to make the subject better understood be- 
comes at once both interesting and valuable. Upon the ar- 
rival of the first settlers here after the massacre in the spring 
of 1857 the water in the Okobojis was ju^t about at the me- 
dium level between high and low water. It Avill be remem- 
bered that this was immediately after the "liard winter'" Avhen 
the entire northwest part of the state was covered with from 
three to five feet of snow. 'I'liere was also the usual fall of 
rain that spring. These conditions under ordinary circnni- 
t^tances would cause a i-isc in tlie lakes of from two and a lialf 
to tliree feet. The conelnsion is therefor<' irresistibh> tliat the 
lakes were very low the fall before. 

Again, the s-andbar at the south end of the Okobaji bridge 
was from two to three rods wide and covered with a black 
allnvial soil on A\]iieh Avas a rank growth of vegetation such as 
go(;seberrv bn^lies, pi'ickly nsli, wild roses and wild grape vines, 



THE LEVEL OF THE LAKES S'M 

while along tlu- cciitr.iil or liiiilu-r ])art tlici-c was a i»TO\vrli <»f 
trees some of which must have l)eou from twcuty-tivc t<> forty 
years ohl. Tt is absolutely certain that the water had not 
swept across this bar for a great many years previous to that 
time. 

In ('<'nter Lake there is a small island which was at that 
time under water and covered with dead timber. The Avater 
in which the trees were standing' was from six inches to three 
feet deep. The timber Avas principally ironwood, white a-h 
^nd Cottonwood. It had evidently been dead from two to live 
years. In several of the small lakes northwest of Spirit Lake, 
•the same conditions existed. There were in all several acres of 
dead timber standing in the water. During the succeeding win- 
ter most of tlie settlers who wintered here de]iended largely on 
this dry wood for fuel. One man had two yoke of cattle shod 
on purpose to haul this dry wood across Spirit Lake. The 
loads he hauled were something marvelous. 

ISTow the question is when, and under what circumstances, 
did this timber grow ? It didn't grow in the water. That's 
certain, and yet some of the dead trees were standing in fully 
three feet of water, and that, too, with the lakes' below a me- 
dium level. Governor Carpenter visited the lakes in tlic sum- 
mer of 1855, which was before there was any settlement here 
whatever. In giving an account of this trip, he always insisted 
that he drove his mules across the straits where the Okol)OJi 
bridge now is and that the water wasn't nun'e tlian two feet 
deep. ]^ow all of these circumstances go to prove that during 
the early part of the present century the water in the lakes 
was low and had remained so for a series of years. 

The summer of 1858 was a very wet one, and as a conse- 
quence the lakes were high, evidently higher than they hail 
been for a great many years. The water made a breach over 
the bar at the south end of the bridire for the first time. From 



338 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

that time on and until 1881 there were wet seasons and there 
were dry seasons, the wet ones predominating, and as a con- 
sequence the lakes gradually were rising. The summer of 1866 
was a phenomenally wet summer and the lakes were corre- 
spondingly high ; higher than at any time since the first set- 
tlement, but it was not until .about 1872 or 1873 that the last 
of the trees and vegetation oil the bar south of the bridge was 
entirely washed away. Of course there were some dry sum- 
mers sandwiched in between the wet ones. For instance, the 
summer of 1863 was a remarkably dry one. 

The county has built a grade about four feet high the whole 
length of the sandbar. Had the lakes remained as they were, 
previous to 1857 this would have been wholly unnecessary. 
The lakes reached their highest level in the simimer of 1881. 
As many fears were expressed then that all of the low Land 
was going to be overflowed and the lake shores washed away 
and ruined as there has since been that the lakes are gradually 
drying up. Since then there have been dry seasons and wet 
seasons, the dry ones predominating, and the water in the 
lakes gradually growing lower until in 1898 they reached the 
lowest level known since the first settlement of the county. 
A careful examination of the lake shore at the time of the high 
water of 1881 showed conclusively that the water had 
as high before. But when ? The ridges of sand and gravel 
that had .been thrown up by the previous higli water were 
clearly traceable and possessed that peculiar appearance wliich 
only the action of waves can give, while the line of boulders 
at the water's edge were piled u\) as only tlie action of the ice 
could pile them. 

These circumstances must be taken as proof ]iositive tliat 
the water lias been up there before. Taking all these proofs 
into consideration, we are irresistibly forced to the conchisitn 
tluit the lakes tliroiiiili a hiiig series of years ])ass fi-mii tli'ii- 



THE LEVEL OF THE LAKES 339 

hig'liest level to tlio lowest aiul ilieii liack aiiaiii, and tluit tlii> 
process has been lioiiiii on for centuries. When for a scries 
of years we have more than the normal i-ainfall, the lakes 
graduallv rise, iuul on the other hand, wIhmi for a series of 
Years we have less than normal, the lakes i>'o down. 

Kow much the cultivation of the adjat-ent hind atteets the 
rise and fall of the water in ilie lakes, we cannot determine. 
Of course it affects it some, l)ut then aiiain, the hnilding of 
the dam across the outlet at the lowi-r end of the lakes to stop 
the tlow or waste, except in times of hioh water, countcrhal- 
aiices that sonu'wh.at so that it can he saf(dy (dainied that the 
theory that the lakes are i>-radually di'vinii' up is not in accord- 
ance witli known facts any more than wouhl he the theory 
that our rainfall is gradiially diminishing, and that the prai- 
ries of northwestern Iowa are destined in tlu' near future to 
l)ecom(> a harren desert. Some of the l)ays ami ^lialhtw jiarts 
of the lake are filling' with acpiatic vegetation to some extent, 
which, with the soil Avashed from adjacent land, nniy eventu- 
ally change the contour of the lakes somewhat, hut this is a 
remote contingency. 

OiK' drawl»ack that the mills on the outlet -.ilways liad to 
contend with was that the lak<' heing (piitc sh.aUow where it 
narrowed up to form the stream, the ice in very cold weather 
would freeze to the bottom and prevent the flow, thus shutting 
off the suppl^f of water. The result was that the mills were 
compelled to shut down in tlie hitter ])art of winter, even in 
times wluMi there would have been ph'nty (»f water exc<'|)t for 
the ice. 

Several dry seasons now following cacdi otiier in succession, 
the water su)i]»ly so far faih'd that it could not be dejiended on 
when most n<'ede(l and the mills wei'e compelled to jmr in 
steam ])ower, whi(di they did about l^sti. In 1S',M» the state 
l)uilt a «lani across the outlet just below the lowei- end of Oar 



340 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Lake, in order to prevent the flow of w.ater from the lake until 
it readies a given level. This was done to promote the fish- 
ing interest. 

Another event worthy of note as occurring during this peri- 
od is the burning of the courthouse, which took place in Feb- 
ruary, 1872. The origin of the fire is unknown. The upper 
story was occuj)ied and used as a school room at that time, and 
a singing school was held there the night of the fire. The rec- 
ords in the recorder's office were fortunately saved, but those 
of the treasurer and clerk of the district cour't Avere mostly 
destroyed. At the time it was burned the courthouse was in- 
sured in the Mississippi Valley Insurance Company. The 
company was immediately notified and payment demanded. 
This was refused on the ground that the building had been 
used for other purposes than were mentioned in the policy. 
Upon the rcfnsal of tlie company to make payment, suit was 
brought against them by the county. The company took a 
change of venue to Clay County, where the ease was tried ,and 
the county obtained judgment for something over $2,600. The 
company .a])])('ah'(l, when the judgment was reversed and the 
case sent back for a new trial. Pending the trial the maitter 
was com})romised between the Board of Suj^ervisors and the 
Insurance Coni]iany at .about fifty cents on the dollar. 

After the burning of the courthouse the question of removal 
of the county se.at was discussed in some quarters, but the 
movement was not strong enough to lead to any practical re- 
sults. An endeavor was made by parties in the south part of 
the county to prevent rebuilding on the old site, but it was not 
heartily supported and a contract was let to T. L. Twiford 
for rebuilding upon the old foundation according to plans and 
specifications furnished by him. This was done in the sum- 
mer of 1872 and it was taken possession of by the county 
authorities tlic ensninii' fall. 



CILVPTEU XXVII. 

A PERIOD OF PROSPERITY POSTOFFICE AT LAKE- 

VILLE AND LAKE PARK THE GRASSHOPPER RAID 

OF 1873 WHERE THEY CAME FROM VIEWS OF 

D. A. W. PERKIXS THEIR DEPREDATIONS EX- 
TRACT FROM J. A. smith's PAMPHLET THE 

SEED GRAIX QUESTION THE LEGISLATURE AP- 
PEALED TO THEY APPROPRIATE $50,000 TO 

BUY SEED GRAIX COMillSSIOXERS FOR DISTRIBU- 
TION $15,000 COVERED BACK IXTO THE TREAS- 
URY — so:NrE "too proud to beg" — the experi- 
ment A FAILURE THE YOUNG HOPPERS THAT 

HATCH IN THE SPRING DESTROY EVERYTHING 

GREAT DESTITUTION. 

T ITAS BEFORE been stated that the period from 18G8 
to 1873 was a period of the most general prosperity en- 
joyed by the early settlers. The development of the 
conntry was ait this time qnite ra])itl. The vacant land 
was all claimed under either the homestead or preemption laws 
and was being improved as fast as the limited means of the 
settlers would permit. A daily mail had been established from 
Spencer to Jackson and other mail facilities had been secured 
in (ither regions sufficient for rlicii- iuimodiate wants. A post- 
office had been established at Lakeville, where a lively settle- 
ment had sprung up and another one .at Silver Lake. All of 
the congressional townships in the county were organized as 
civil townshii)s. Scliodlhouses w('r<> l)uilt and educational fa- 
cilities providcil foi- on a scale of tlie greatest liberality, and 
people Avere beginning to feel that .a period of i)r<tsj>erity was 
opening before them, and were looking forward with high ho})es 




342 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

and bright anticipations for the gi-ocl time coming- for which 
they had waited so long and labored so hard ; when they shonld 
realize a substantial reward for the manv dangers they had 
braved, the hardships and privations they had endnred and 
tlie obstacles they had overcome and surmounted. 

All this was beginning to seem a thing of the past ; a new era 
was dawning which bade fair to gladden the hearts of those 
staunch ])ioneers who had devoted the energies of their youth 
and strength of their manhood to the work of o])ening up and 
developing this, one of the fairest regions God's sun ever shone 
upon, for the occupancy and enjoyment of those who should 
come .after them. J]ut from this dream of happiness and pros- 
perity of growth aud development the infant settlement was 
destined to a rude and rough awakening. 

The summer of 1873 will ever be memorable in the annals 
of northwestern Iowa as being the time when that terrible 
scourge, the .army of grasshoppers first commenced their depre- 
dations u])on a scale that threatened to interfere to a material 
extent with the growth and prosperity of the country. The 
extent of the calamity which befell this country in the grass- 
hoi^per raid of 1873 to 1877 has never been fully compre- 
hended or und(u-stood except l)y the immediate suiferers. The 
almost total loss of four successive crops in any agricultural 
country would be considered a calamity that it would require 
years to recover from, yet that was just what befell the coun- 
ties of northwestern Iowa at this period. 

Previous to this time there had been two invasions of the 
grasshoi)i)er into northwestern Town, neithi'r of wliich did much 
damage or created much alarm so far north as this county. 
In 1867 and 1808 they were quite thick in the neighborhood 
of Sioux City and up the Floyd Viilley. That season they 
came as far north as the southern portion of this county, but 
it was so late in tin- season that the damage done l)v tliem at that 



THE GRASSHOPPER INVASION 343 

time was inoonsiderabk'. That season they also did a vast deal 
of damage in Humboldt, Webster, Hamilton and Greene Coun- 
ties, and other places Ix'tween the Des Moines and Missouri 
Rivers. 

The armv a'rasshopper, or as it is sometimes more appro- 
priately desiiin.ated, the Kocky Mountain locust, is indigenous 
to the barren table lands along the eastern base of the Rocky 
Mountains. D. A. W. Perkins, in duseussing this question in 
the history of Osceida County, says: 

"In Wyoming, western Xebraska, Texas, the Indian Terri- 
tory and Xew ]\rexico, the broods were .annually hatched. In 
their native haunts they attained an enormous size, many spec- 
imens being three inches in length. Scientific men who have 
studied the habits of the grasshoppers state that L'ach succeed- 
ine- brood degenerates in size and after thr<'(' or four generations 
the weaker are obliged to swarm and seek other quarters, being- 
driven out by the larger and stronger insects. These exiles 
rise and go with the wind, kwping the direction in which they 
first started, stopping in their flight for subsistence and depos- 
iting eggs in a ju-olific manner during the incubating season, 
which lasted from tlio niiddlc of June to the middle of Septem- 
ber." 

The advance guard of this invading army first ]>ut in an 
appearance in this county al)out the middle of June, 1873, 
coming from the southwest. The first seen of them was .a huge 
black cloud which was none other than a huge swarm of grass- 
hoppers. Their movements were accompanied by a dull roaring 
or buzzing sound that terrified the ears. They swarmed in such 
vast numbers .as to obscure the light of the sun, giving every- 
thing that weird, sombre look that is .always noticed during 
a solar eclipse. The phenomenon of stars being visible in the 
day time, by reason of the obscurity of the sun, was observed 
by many. The buzzing, roaring sound by which their flight 
was accompanied was ominous of approaching disaster. They 
settled down on the fields of a'rowinc: c'rain in such nund)ers 



344 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

that it soon became evident that nothing couhl escape their 
ravages. They semed endowed with an intuition or unerring 
instinct that directed tliem to the nearest grain fiekls, no matter 
in which direction they were hjcated. If by chance they hap- 
])ened to alight on the uncultivated j^rairie a movement would 
immediately commence in the direction of the nearest growing 
fields. Their first appearance was alarming and their devas- 
tations were appalling. 

These grassho|)])ers had crossed the ^lissouri Tfiver and com- 
menced foraging in the bordering Iowa counties, devouring 
everything as they went. By harvest time there was but little 
left to harvest and that of an inferior quality. The grass- 
hoppers deposited their eggs in countless numbers. The greater 
portion of the land under cultivation was thoroughly impreg- 
nated with them. Land that had been cleared of all vegetation 
suited them best. In such places the number of eggs that would 
be deposited on .a given surface Avas thoroughly astounding. 
These eggs were in cells containing from twenty-five to fifty 
each and were deposited about half an inch beneath the surface. 
They were deposited in the late summer and early fall months 
and renmined on the ground during the winter, when they were 
hatched out in the spring by the warm rays of the sun acting 
U])on the sandy surface of the ground. The more sand in tlic 
soil the earlier they hatched out and the more vigorous the 
''hoppers." The following extracts from J. A. Smith's pam- 
phlet on ncu'thwestern Iowa conveys a very intelligent idea of 
tlie situation : 

"Early in the spring of 1874 the eggs deposited the season 
before commenced h.atching and the soil looked literally alive 
with insignificant looking insects a quarter of an inch in length 
but possessing great vitality and surprising appetites. As if 
by instinct their first movements were toward the fields where 
tender shoots of grain were making their modest a])pearance. 
Sometimes the first intimation a farmer would li.avc of what 



THE GRASSHOPPER INVASION 345 

was going: on would be from noticing- along one side of his field 
A narrow strip where the grain was missing. At first perhaps 
he would attribute it to a balk in sowing, but each day it grew 
wider and a closer examination would reveal the presence of 
m_vri.ads of young grassh()i)i)ers. As spring advanced it be- 
came evident that comparatively few eggs had been deposited 
in the territory that had suffered tlu> worst in ISTo. Tlicy 
had been laid further east. In Kossuth, Emmet, Dickinson and 
P.alo Alto Counties in Iowa, and in Martin and Jackson Coun- 
ties, Minnesota, the young ones were hatched out in far greater 
numlx'rs than elsewhere. 

''The early part of the season was cxtrcnu'ly dry; no rain 
fell until the middle of June. Grain did not grow, but the 
grasshoppers did, and before the drouth ended the cro])s in the 
counties named were eaten and parched beyond all hope of 
recovery. About the middle of June, however, a considerable 
rain fell and, outside of the before mentioned counties, the 
prospects were generally favorable for good crops. The young 
grasshoppers commenced to get wings about the middle of 
June and in a few days they began to rise and Hy. Tlie pros- 
pect seemed good for .a speedy riddance of the pests, but Provi- 
dence had ordained otherwise. The perverse insects were wait- 
ing for an easterly M'ind and the perverse wind blew from the 
southwest for nearly three weeks, a phenomenon of rare occur- 
rence in this region, as it very seldom blows from one quarter 
more than three days ,at a time. During this time the grass- 
]io])pers*were almost constantly on the move. Straggling 
swarms found their way to central Iowa doing, however, but 
little damage. 

"About the tenth or tAvelfth of July the wind changed to the 
east and as by common consent the countless multitude took 
their departure Avestw.ard. Up to this time the crops had been 
damaged but slightly in the western counties but during the 
two or three days of their flight the grain fields in these counties 
were injured to (piite an extent. After the date above men- 
tioned, with one or two unimportant exceptions, no grasshopjx^rs 
were seen. 

"There is no evidence that this region was visited in 1.^74 
by foreign swarms, though it has been stated that such w.as the 
fact. On the contrary there is every reason for believin<i' they 
were all hatched here. According to the most reliable informa- 
tion the grasshoppers hatched here produced no cor^!; and the 



346 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

inference is tliat they were incapable of so doing. Tliey were 
much smaller than their predecessors and besides they were 
covered with parasites in the shape of little red bugs which 
made sad havoc in their ranks. What became of them after 
leaving here seems .a mystery, but probably their enfeebled con- 
stitutions succumbed to the attacks of the parasites and the 
depleting effects of general debility." 

This grasshopper raid was very discouraging to the country 
and interfered materially with its progress. 

It will be remembered that during the four years previous 
to 1874, a heavy tide of emigration had been constantly pour- 
ing in. During that time all of the vacant government land in 
the county had l)een taken by settlers mostly under tlie homestead 
act. This land was principally prairie, the timber land hav- 
ing been previously taken. Like the pioneers of all new coun- 
tries these later comers were mostly poor men and the best 
of them had barely enough to tide them over from the time of 
taking their homesteads to such time as they would be able to 
open up their claims and raise a crop. They had just com- 
menced to open their farms and were dependent upon their 
crops for subsistence. What would have been in older localities 
a serious misfortune was to them absolute ruin. The result 
was great destitution and the necessity in the more recently 
settled neighborhoods of asking for outside assistance. The 
situation, however, was not so desperate in this county as it 
was in the counties to the west of here .and most of the out- 
side aid sent to this portion of the state went to O'Brien, 
Osceola, Sioux and Lyon Counties. 

One of the serious aspects of the case was the seed grain 
question. The legislature Ix'ing in session an appeal was made 
to them for state assistance in the matter of securing the neces- 
sary seed. In answer to this appeal a bill w,as passed and be- 
came a law ap]U'o])ri,ating fifty thonsand dollars to aid in that 



STATE APPROPRIATION FOR SEED CRAIN 347 

matter. Under the provisions of the Ijill a commission was 
appointed whose duty it was to make a thorough investigation 
of all of the conditions and circumstances of the case and then 
take such action as the exigencies demanded. The names of 
the commissioners so appointed were Hon. Tasker of Jones 
County, Dr. Levi Fuller of Fayette and Hon. O. B. Brown 
of Van Buren. After a thorough investigation of the matter, 
they decided to purchase and distribute seed directly to the 
settlers. Local committees were .appointed to assist ths com- 
mission in their work. The distribution for Dickinson and 
Osceola Counties was made at Sibley. They adopted a list of 
questions that each applicant was required to answer in writ- 
ing .and from these answers the commissioners decided whether 
the applicant was entitled to relief or not, and if <(> his portion 
was dealt out to him. 

Each applicant received about fifteen bushels of seed wheat, 
besides some seed corn and garden seeds. A considerable quan- 
tity of garden seeds was also distributed by the general gov- 
ernment through the Interior Department. Al)ont one hundred 
applications for seed grain were answered from this county. A 
good many who would have been entitled to aid under the pro- 
visions of the law were too proud to make the application. 
They had passed through hard times before and the same self- 
denial would take thciii rlirougli again. Then^ was about fifteen 
thousand <lollars of the appropriation left after the distrilmtion 
was completed and this was covered back int(» the state treas- 
ury. But the well meant efforts of the state to relieve the sit- 
uation were unavailing. As has been before stated the grow- 
ing crops were destroyed 1 by the myriads of young grasshopi")€rs 
af» fast as they made their apiK^arancc .above the surface. 

After the departure of the grasshoppers in 187-i our people 
ex])erienced a sens<! of relief and hoped that they would not 
again be visited by the plague for years, if ever. The loss of 



348 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the greater portion of their crof)S for two years in succession 
imposed a burden upon them heavy to be borne, but they 
had passed the ordeal and now with fortune favoring them in 
the future they hojDed to recover a portion of what they had lost. 
Many had been obliged to mortgage their farms to keep their 
families from suffering while all were compelled to practice a 
degree of economy and self-denial to wliicb they had formerly 
been strangers. 




CHAPTER XXVIII. 

THE SECOIs^D INVASION THE DESTKUCTION 

GREATER THAN EVER WHOLE NEIGHBORHOODS 

ABANDONED EXTRACT FROM GOVERNOR CARPEN- 

TEr's ARTICLE IN "tHE ANNALs'" GRASSHOPPERS 

BLOCK RAILROAD TRAINS GENERAL N, B. BAKER 

HIS EFFORTS IN BEHALF OF GRASSHOPPER SUF- 
FERERS IMPAIR HIS HEALTH HIS VISIT TO 

SPIRIT LAKE NEWSPAPER GOSSIP. 

^HE YEAH 1875 was marked by no event worthy of par- 
ticular mention. The farms that year proved remark- 
ably productive, and excepting a portion of the crops 
that were badly damaged by the long-continued rains in 
the months of August and September, the season would have 
proved a remarkably prosperous one. The people were begin- 
ning to look once more with hope to the future. But they were 
again doomed to disappointment. The grasshopper scourge 
through which they had just passed such a dreadful experience, 
and which they fondly hoped had left them forever, again made 
its appearance in the summer of 1876 in greater numbers than 
ever, this time coming from the northwest instead of the south- 
west. 

The details of this invasion are so similar to the one of three 
years before that they need not be repeated. The grasshoppers 
came in greater numlx^rs than ever .and their devastations were 
more general. This time no effort was made to secure outside 
relief. Man}- of the settlers who had been obliged to mortgage 
their homos to tide them over the first period of destitution now 
gave up the struggle and disposed of their places for what they 
could get, which was not niucli. ^fany reali25ed nothing in 



350 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

addition to the encumbrances already on tliem. Whole neigh- 
borhoods were depopulated. The settlement at Lakeville fur- 
'nishes the most conspicuous instance of this kind. Over fifty 
homesteads had been taken and were occupied in that immedi- 
ate vicinity at the time the grasshoppers struck them in 1873. 
Of these not more than half a dozen were occupying their places 
when the grasshoppers disappeared in 1877. 

What was true of Lakeville w.as equally true of other neigli- 
borhoods, though perhaps not to quite so marked an extent, as 
the number of newcomers about Lakeville w^as greater at that 
time than any other point and the abandonment of their claims 
more general. The insects made their final flig^lit in Julv, 
1877, since which time they have not infested the country to 
any noticeable extent. They destroyed the crops here in 1873, 
1874, 187G and 1877, the last year being the worst of all. In 
Osceola County the reverse w,as true, the first year being the 
most disastrous, but here the last year was worse. The gi-ass- 
hopper questions furnished .a fruitful topic for newspaper 
writers, and many articles, wise and otherwise, Avere inflicted 
on a long suffering public. The following from the Sioux City 
Journal will serve as an example. It is quite certain that had 
the Avriter thereof ever tried or seen tried the experiment he 
recommends, the article w^ould never have been written. The 
article is as follows : 

"The grasshopper deposits its eggs .at the roots of the grass 
in the latter part of summer or early autumn. The eggs hatch 
but early in spring and during the months of April, May and 
June, according as the season is early or late ; they are wing- 
less, their sole power of locomotion being the hop. To destroy 
them, all that is needed is for each county, town or district 
to organize itself into a fire brigade throughout the district 
where their eggs are known to be deposited. This fire brigade 
shall see that the prairies are not burned over in the fall, and 
thus they will have the grass for the next spring and to be 
employed ujjon the pests while they are yet hoppers — the means 



EXTKACT FROM GOV. CARPENTER'S ARTICLE 351 

of sure (K'utli. Tu applv ir let all a^rcc upon a certain day, say 
in A\)v\\ or May, or at any time when they are sure all the 
lio])]»ers aro hatcliod and none are yet winged. All being ready, 
let every |)erson, man, woman and boy, turn out with torches 
and simultaneously fire the whole prairie, and the work, if 
well done, will destroy the whole crop of grasshoppers for that 
year, and none will be left to ^soar their gossamer wings' or lay 
eggs for another year." 
\ 

The Annals of Iowa, VolnnH' 4, Xnnibcr 0, contains an ex- 
haustive article on the grasshopper invasion of 1807 and 1S(;.S, 
as well as that of 1873 and 1876, written by the Late Ex-Gov- 
ernor C. C. r.ar]ientor, and the conditions so vividly described 
by him are so oxactl}' similar to what occurred here a few 
years later, that a few extracts will not be wholly out of place. 
His observations were confined principally to the counties of 
Greene, Boone, Story, Hamilton .and Webster. He says : 

"One of the most serious of the pioneer experiences of 
northwestern Iowa was the grasshopper invasion. The reader 
who did not see the destruction wrought by the grasshoppers 
and the strange phenomena of their coming and going will 
be very apt to regard the story of an eye witness as incredible. 
They made their first appearance in 1867. The Hon. Charles 
Richards, at that time a citizen of Fort Dodge, gives the fol- 
lowing account of their coming: 

'" 'The first appearance of these pests was on the eighth of 
Se])tember, 1867, when about noon the air was discovered to 
be filled with grasshoppers coming from the west, settling about 
.as fast as the flakes of an ordinary snowstorm. In fact, it 
appeared like a snowstorm, when the larger flakes of snow fall 
slowly and pei'pendicularly, there being no wind. They imme- 
diately began to deposit their eggs, choosing new breaking and 
hard ground along the roads, but not confining themselves to 
such places and l>eing the worst where the soil was sandy. 
They continued to cover the ground, fences and buildings, eat- 
ing everything, and in many places eating the bark from the 
young growtli of the apple, cherry and other trees, and nearly 



352 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

destroying currant, gooseberries and shrubs, generally eating 
the fruit buds for the next year. They disappeared with the 
first frost, not flying away, but hid themselves and died. 

" 'JSTo amount of cultivating the soil and disturbing the eggs 
seemed to injure or destroy them. I had two hundred acres 
of new breaking, and as soon as the frost was out commenced 
dragging the ground, exposing the eggs. The ground looked 
as if rice had been sown very thickly. I thought the dragging, 
while it was still freezing at night, thus exposing the eggs, 
breaking up the shell or case in which the eggs, some twenty 
or thirty in each shell, would destroy them, but I believe that 
every egg hatched. 

" 'As the wheat began to sprout and grow the grasshoppers 
l^egan to hatch, and seemed to literally cover the ground, they 
being about an eighth of an inch long when hatched. They 
fed on ,all young and tender plants, but seemed to prefer bar- 
ley and wheat in the fields and tender vegetables in the garden. 
Many kept the wheat trimmed, and if it is a dry season it will 
not grow fast enough to head. But generally here in 1868 
the wheat headed out and the stalk w.as trimmed bare, not a 
leaflet, and then they went up on the head and ate or destroyed 
it. Within ten days from the time the wheat heads out they 
moult. Prior to this time they have no wings, but within a 
period of five or six days they entirely changed their .appear- 
ance and habits, and from an ordinary grasshopper became 
a winged insect, capable of flying thousands of miles. 

" 'In moulting they shed the entire outer skin or covering 
even to the bottom of their feet and over their eyes. I have 
caught them when fully developed and ready to moult, or shed 
their outside covering, and pulled it off, developing their 
wings, neatly folded, almost white in color and so frail that 
the least touch destroys them. But in two days they begin to 
fly. First short flights across the fields where they are feed- 
ing, and then longer flights, and within ten days after thev 
moult, all the grasshoppers seem instinctively to rise very high 
and make .a long flight, those of 1867 never having been heard 
of after leaving here and all leaving within ten days after they 
had their wings.' 

"Further on in the same article Mr. Richards writes of the 
invasion of 1873 and 1874. He first refers to the fact that 
they were not nearly as destructive in Webster and the adjoin- 



EXTRACT FROM C. B. RICHARDS 353 

inff counties as in those farther to the northwest, and then con- 
tinues as follows : 

" 'This time they were early enough in the season to destroy 
all the crops in those counties, evidently having hatched far- 
ther south and having attained maturity mucli earlier than 
those of 1867. They went through exactly the same process 
of depositing and hatching eggs, and destroying crops 
.as before and were identical in every respect. The 
only ditforence was in their mode of leaving. They 
made many attempts to leave, rising en masse for a long flight, 
when adverse winds would bring them down. It is a fact 
well demonstrated that their instinct teaches them in what 
direction to fly, and if the wind is adverse they will settle 
down in a few hours, ^vhen if the wind was in the direction 
they wished to go, they never would be heard of again within 
hundreds of miles.' " 

Governor Carpenter then says: 

"I have copied this article as it was written by Mr. Richards 
at the time, because it not only gives a description of the ruin 
wrought, but goes with particularity into the habits and char- 
acteristics of the itinerary grasshopper. Persons who were 
not conversant witli this invasion can hardly realize with what 
anxiety the j)e()ple scanned the heavens for several years after 
each return of the season, when they had put in an appearance 
on the occasion of their previous visit. The great body of 
the invaders were generally preceded a day or two by scatter- 
ing grasshoppers. 

"In a clear day, by looking far away towards the sun, yuu 
would see every now and then a white winged forerunner of 
the swarm which was to follow. Years after they had gone 
there was a lurking fear that they would return. And if there 
were any indications of their appearance, especially when dur- 
ing two or three days the prevailing winds had been from the 
southwest, people would be seen on a clear day standing with 
their hands .above their eyes to protect them from the vertical 
rays of the sun, ])eering into the hi^avens, almost trembling 
lest they should discover the forerunners of the white winged 
messengers of destruction. To illustrate the absolute fearful- 
ness of the grasshopper scourge, I have recalled a few of the 
incidents of their visitation. And fearing the reader who has 
had no personal experience with grasshoppers might be inclined 



354 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

to regard the story as 'fishy/ I have taken pains to fortify my- 
self with the documents. I have a letter from J. M. Brainard, 
editor of the Boone Standard, relating incidents of his own 
experience during these years ; * * * He s,ays : 

" 'That fall I made frequent trips over the Xorthwestern 
road from my home to Council Bluffs, and the road was not 
a very jjerfect one at that time, either in roadbed or grades. 
One day, it was well along in the afternoon, I was going west- 
ward, .and by the time we had reached Tiptop (now Arcadia) 
the sun had got low and the air slightly cool, so that the hop- 
pers clustered on the rails, the warmth being grateful to them. 
The grade at Tiptop was pretty stiff, and our train actually 
came to a st^indstill on the rails greased by the crushed bodies 
of the insects. This occurred more than once, necessitating 
the engineer to back for a distance and then make a rush for 
the summit, liberally sanding the track as he did so. I think 
I made a note of it for my paper, Tlie Story County Aegis, 
for in 1876, on visiting my old Pennsylvania home, a revered 
uncle took me to task for the improbable statement, and when 
T assured him of its truthfulness he dryly remarked, 'Ah, John, 
you have lived so long in the West that I fear you have grown 
to be as big a liar as any of them.' " 

Commenting on the above, Governor Carj^enter s.ays : 

"The fact that railroad trains were impeded may seem a 
strange phenomenon. But there was a cause for the great 
number of grasshoppers that drifted to the railro,ad track hinted 
at by ]\rr. Brainard. Those. who studied their habits observed 
that they were fond of warmth, even heat. The fence enclos- 
ing a field where they 'were getting in their work' indicated 
the disposition of the grasshopper. Towards evening the bot- 
tom boards on the south side of the fence would be covered 
with them, hanging upon them like swarms of bees. When 
the suggestion of the autumn frosts began to cool the atmos- 
pliore the grasshoppers would assemble at the railroad track 
and hang in swarms on the iron rails which had been warmed 
by the rays of the sun. The effect of this invasion upon the 
business of northwestern Iowa was most appalling. * * * 
ISTothing could be more dreary and disheartening than a Avheat 
field Avith the bare stalks standing, stripped of every leaf and 
even the heads entirely devoured. People tried all sorts of 
experiments to drive the pests from their fields. T remember 



DEVICES AND ?:XrERIMEMS 355 

my brother, R. E. Carpenter, had a fine piece of wheat, .and 
he bought a long rope, a hundred feet long, and hitching a 
liorse at each end, he mounted one and his hired man the other, 
and with horses a hundred feet apart and .abreast they rode 
back and forth over the field three or four times a day, the 
rope swinging along between, sweepng a strip a hundred feet 
wide. They would always ride their horses in the same paths 
so that they destroyed but little grain and kept the grasshoppers 
so constantly disturljed that they did but little damage." 

The experiment described by Governor Carpenter was re- 
peatedly tried in this county but with indifferent success, as 
the h()])por Avould tly up and iuinu'(liately liglit down again 
in the rear of the passing rope and resume their work of de- 
struction just as if nothing liad happened, thus proving that 
the insects were more numerous here and the destruction of 
crops more complete than in the territory that came under his 
pbservation. Further on lu^ doscribi's a "ho])per dozer" that 
was contrived and successfully used by Hon. Charles Aid rich 
on his farm in Hamilton County. "Ho]3])er dozers" nearly 
identical with the one described by Governor Carpenter were 
made .and used by a number of our farmers, and while millions 
of the insects were destroyed, like the Chinese soldiers, other 
millions rose to fill their places and the devastation continued 
without perceptible interruption. 

Before closing his article Governor Carpenter refers to the 
lively interest taken by General l!^. B. Baker in the struggles 
of the settlers against the adverse circumstances surrounding 
them, and the activity manifested by him in .all plans for their 
relief. He refers to a convention held at Fort Dodge to con- 
sider among other things the obtaining mid distributing sup- 
plies. He s.ays : 

"Delegates Avere in attendance from the various counties of 
northwestern Iowa and from Dakota. Among these there w,as 
one whose great heart was thoroughly aroused at the tale of 
woe which ciiUH' from the stricken i-ciiioii, iiiid wlio not onlv 



35(3 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA i 

had leisure, but had the disposition to give his time and ener- 
gies to the work of relief. I refer to General ]^, B. Baker, the 
.adjutant general of the state of Iowa. He with Colonel Spof- 
ford of Des Moines and the writer, then living in Des Moines, 
attended this convention. It was determined to appoint a 
eomniittee to visit the various counties in northwestern Iowa 
and Dakota, and upon consultation with the people appoint 
local committees through whom the work of distribution could 
be intelligently performed. Greneral Baker was made the 
chairman of this committee. This was in the early part of 
January, 1874." 

People who resided at Spirit Lake during the summer of 
1876 doubtless remember that General Baker spent some time 
there that summer, boarding .at the Crandall House. The ex- 
citement and the unusual and unnatural labor he had per- 
formed in connection with his endeavors for the relief of the 
"grasshopper sufferers" had seriously impaired his health, and 
his physician recommended a trip to the lakes. There was no 
railroads then and he came from Storm Lake by carriage. For 
some time after his arrival here he gained strength and vitality, 
and his spirits rose accordingly, .and his friends here hoped 
and believed that he would receive permanent benefit from 
his outing and that he would gradually recover his former 
strength and activity. 

As usual Crandall had a very fine garden that summer and 
the General was very much interested in it, and spent consid- 
erable time strolling around it and watching its growth. The 
suddenness with which the grasshoppers alighted down on the 
country that summer has already been noticed. The General 
sat in the garden and watched them. While he had been 
largely interested in the various schemes devised for the relief 
of the grasshopper sufi^erers, and knew as others knew of the 
destruction they had wrought, yet this was the first time he had 
been in the midst of it, and the rapidity with which they got 
in their work was a revelation to him. . 



EXTKACT FKOM D. A. W . I'KIIKINS 357 

Reports soon commenced coming in of tlic nature and extent 
of the invasion, and all were soon convinced that the destruc- 
tion of the growing crops would be more general than anything 
that had preceded it. The effect of all this on the Generar.< 
physical condition was disastrous in the extreme. From being 
the brightest and jolliest man in the crowd, he became moody 
and low spirited. lie brooded over the destitute condition of 
the newcomers as though he had a direct and personal interest 
in them. He soon lost all that he had gained since coming 
here, and his friends were not long in realizing that his case 
was hopeless and advised that he return to his home in Des 
Moines at once, which he did. He continued to fail from that 
time until his death, which was a few months later. The folr 
lowing extract is from Hon. D. A. \V. Perkins' ''History of 
Osceola County:" 

"As the grasshopper years went on the people themselves, 
scientific men and even the halls of legislation, were discuss- 
ing the question of how to drive the 'hoppers' from tlie country. 
Afan}' and varied were the experiments. They tried smudging, 
burning the prairie, burning tar, digging ditches and every 
conceivable thing that the ingenuity of man could suggest, even 
to a huge trap in which to snare and catch them. ]\Iinnesota 
offered a bounty of a certain amount jDer bushel for them, and 
actually ])aid out quite a sum, which helped the people along, 
but the idea of delivering a crop of grasshoppers for .a consid- 
eration strikes us now as bordering on the ridiculous. * * * 

"The grasshop])er business, too, liad its linniorons si(l(% and 
there was much wit grew out of it and the eastern papers made 
much fun of us, and not only that, but seriously charged us 
with being a country liable to such things and hence unfit to 
live in. The county papers in northwestern Iowa would each 
claim that the other county was the worst. The Gazette said 
in one issue they were mostly in Dickinson County, and the 
Beacon gives this assertion the lie and says they are on the 
border of Osceola 'peeking over.' Some agricultural house 
printed a card l)earing the picture of an enormous grasshopper 
sitting on a Imard fence, gazing at a wheat field, and under- 
neath tlie words, "In this s(wheat) bye and bye.' 



358 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

"The poet was .also at work and the following one of the 
numerous productions : 

CHARGE OF THE GRASSHOPPEK BRIGADE. 

"Half a league, Half a league, 
Half a league onward, 
Right from the iWcst they came 
More than six hundred. 

Out from forest and glade, 
'Charge for the corn,' they said, 
Then for the fields they made 
More than six hundred. 

Fields to the right of them, 
Fields to the left of them, 
Fields in front of them 
Pillaged and plundered ; 
Naught could their numbers tell, 
DoA\ni on the crop they fell, 
ISTor left a stalk or shell. 
More than six hundred. 

Flashed all their red legs bare, 
Flashed as they turned in air, 
Rol)bing the farmers there. 
Charging an orchard while 
All the world wondered. 
Plunged in the smudge and smoke 
Right through^ the corn they broke, 
Hopper and locust; 
Peeled they the stalks all bare. 
Shattered and sundered. 
Then they went onward — but 
More than six hundred." 

As has been before stated the grasshoppers made their final 
flight in the summer of 1877. Over one-half of the popula- 
tion had giv^n up the struggle, disposed of their places for a 
mere nominal sum .and left. The other half found themselves 
in decidedly straightened circumstances. To them it was like 
conmioncing anew with the odds against them. The question 
tliat prc^^cntiMi itself to tlicui flic strongest was this: 'What is 



THE GRASSHOFl'KR HKICADE 359 

in store for us in the t'lirurcC Is this rciiidii of fountrv more 
subject to iiuMirsioiis of this kiml than other localities' Are 
we to he subjected in the future to raids of this character in 
oft-recurring- periods' If so, it were better that the country 
be abandoned and turiu'd over ai;ain to the savages from whom 
it had been reelaime(l. Perhajts the feeling- ])i'evailinii' at that 
time cannot be better shown than bv the following short extract 
from an article written' in the fall of 187^: 

"The extent of the damage dune the present season is incal- 
culable, and it is no wonder tliat our people are discouraged 
and despondent, but to their credit be it said that they are 
looking the situation squarely in the face, and while many 
are leaving, they are for the most part those who can be the 
easiest spared. The old settlers, those who have borne the 
burdens of the past and have labored hardest to overcome the 
difficulties which have stood in their way, are still hopeful 
for the future. They cannot believe that this, one of the fair- 
est regions in Iowa, is to be cursed by periodic visitations of 
this dreaded pest. It is Avell known that there are mauy other 
localities in the country where the devastation the present 
year has been even greater than here. In portions of Xew 
York and Canada whole counties have been devastated, as is 
also the case in some of the southern states, and we firmly 
believe that regions of country where the scourge has hitherto 
been unknown are just as liable to be the victims of the next 
raid as northwestern Iowa." 

Looking l)ack at the conditions as they then existed, we can 
only wonder that the settlers faced them with as much courage 
and fortitude as they did. At the present time the loss of any 
material portion of a crop by drouth, hail or any other cause 
is deemed a serious calamity. What then the result would 
be if four entire crops in succession were destroyed we can only 
fainth' conjecture. 



CHAPTEK XXIX. 

THE EAKLY SCHOOLS LACK OF FUjN^DS AMUSING 

INCIDENT EELATED BY HON. A. W. HUBBARD THE 

FIEST SCHOOL AT SPIRIT LAKE THE COURTHOUSE 

USED FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES THE EARLY TEACH- 
ERS THE FIRST SCHOOL AT CENTER GROVE THE 

LITTLE LOG SCHOOLHOUSE BUILT BY SUBSCRIP- 
TION THE EARLY TEACHERS THE SCHOOL AT 

OKOBOJI THE SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED BY 

SUBSCRIPTION THE SCHOOL AT TUSCULUM THE 

DICKINSON COUNTY TEACHERs' ASSOCIATION 

THE EARLY INSTITUTES. 

HE EARLY school work of the county has been alluded 
to before and now deserves a more extended notice. 
The four places in the county where the first public 
schools were established and maintained at near the 
same time were Spirit Lake, Center Grove, Okoboji and Tus- 
culum. The private school maintained by Doctor Prescott and 
taught by Mrs. A. L, Buckland (then Miss Amanda Smith) 
for about a year and a half has already been mentioned. There 
were practically no public funds for the support of the schools 
of the county until about 1864, and but little then. It may 
seem strange to some that this county did not have public funds 
as early as the adjoining counties of Clay and O'Brien. The 
reason is this: In Clay and O'Brien Counties the greater 
part of their land had been proclaimed for sale previous to the 
panic of 1857 and was entered up by speculators and non- 
residents, and was hold by them at the time of the first settle- 
ment of those counties, and of course one of the first duties 
of the patriotic settler was to see that the non-resident "land 




ANECDOTE BY JUDGE HUBBARD 361 

shark" paid his proper proportion of taxes, and especially of 
school, road and bridge taxes. His second duty was to see that 
the proceeds arising from these taxes were properly expended. 

The late Judge A. iW. Hubbard of Sioux City used to* tell 
a story of his ciwii experience that illustrates this point better 
than any amount of explanation would. He owned quit^s a 
tract of wild land in one of the counties between here and 
Sioux City, .and he said that he always noticed from his tax 
receipts that he was all of the time paying a good round school 
tax. Having business in that vicinity at one time, he thought 
he would drive out and see his land and see what sort of a 
neighborhood it was in. Accordingly he employed a man who 
knew the country to drive out with him and made the trip, and 
found somewhat to his surprise that there was but one man liv- 
ing in the school district in which his land was located. He 
found a commodious, well furnished schoolhouse, with all of 
the fixtures and appurtenances for maintaining a first-class 
school, Avliile the lone settler and a hired man were the full 
board of directors. His wife was treasurer and his oldest 
daughter secretary, both on good salaries. His wife was also 
teacher and his children were the only ones of school age for 
miles around. 

The Judge took in the situation at ,a glance and was liighly 
amused by it, and driving nj) to the settler's log cabin, entered 
into conversation with him. After talking awhile about the 
country and the ])rospccts of its settlement and growth, the 
Judge made some in([uiries regarding tluMr school and finally 
remarked that he couldn't s<'e why it would not l)e a good idea 
for the settler to move right into the schoolhouse and live there. 
His cabin was small and uncomfortable, while the schoolhouse 
was large and commodious, and then as there were no other 
cliildren, there would l>e no one to complain. The settler an- 
swered that he had been thinking a great deal about it of late, 



36'2 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

and he believed he would. And sure enough when winter 
came on it found the family comfortably fixed in the new 
schoolhouse, while the "teachers' fund" and the "contingent 
fund" contributed liberally to their support. 

But that was not in this county, so the above incident is not 
a part of this county's history for the very good reason, if for 
no other, that the land in this county was not brought into 
market until after the panic, and consequently was not sold 
and so could not be taxed until years after the first settlement. 
It is more than probable th.at some incidents very much like 
it may have occurred about the close of the grasshopper period, 
but if so, who will say they were not justifiable? 

But to return to the question of the early schools. As has 
been already stated. Miss Mary Howe taught the first school 
in Spirit Lake, but this was a private affair, and was paid for 
by the patrons in proportion to the attendance. As near as 
can be ascertained, the first school in Spirit Lake which was 
paid for in whole or in part by the public school fund was 
taught by Rev. [William Leggett, a Baptist preacher, dur- 
ing the winter of 1863 and 1864. There Avas no schoolhouse 
in the town at that time, and up to 1866 they dej>ended on 
hiring for school purposes any room that happened to be va- 
cant. 

It will be remembered that during the Indian troubles, and 
until the summer of 1865, the courthouse was used as military 
headquarters and was occupied by troops. After its evacua- 
tion the lower story was divided into offices and the main 
room of the upper story was used for nearly every imaginable 
purpose. The school directors made an arrangement witli the 
Board of Supervisors to use it among the rest for school pur- 
poses. It was used in this way for two or three years without 
other furniture than such benches, chairs .and tables as were 
contril)ntcd l)y the patrons for the convenience of the joupils, 



SCHOOLHOUSES 3G3 

\vlicn till' directors seated it with modern school furniture, and 
for those days it made quite a commodious school room. The 
first term taught after the school was moved into the courthouse 
was by ^Miss ^lyra Smith in the summer of 1866. 

After the burning of the courthouse the district erected a 
building south of the Crandall House, the upper story of which 
was used as a ^lasonic lodge room and the lower one as a 
school room. This arrangement remained in force until the 
school had increased in size so as to require the use of both 
rooms when the building was moved to the site of the present 
schoolliouse, which had been previously donated to the district 
by Mr. Barkman for schoolhouse purposes. The first teacher 
in tills schoolhonse was W. F. Pillsbury. The last ones, there 
being two departments at the time, were H. I. W.asson for the 
■advanced grade and Mrs. Albert Arthur ior the primary. This 
old building was used for schoolhouse purposes for about ten 
years, or until 1882, when it Avas torn down to make room 
for the present modern structure. 

The first real schoolhouse in the county, built as such and 
never used for anything else, was the old log schoolhouse at 
Center Grove. While there Av.as no money in the treasury and 
hardly any taxable property in the district, there were a liberal 
number of sturdy girls and boys very much in need of school 
privileges and school training, thus rendering some kind of 
a school building an imperative necessity. The first move 
towards securing one was made in the spring or summer of 
1863. The first movers in the scheme were Philip Doughty, 
Samuel Rogers, Ludwig Lewis, C. H. Evans, SW. B, Brown 
and M. J. Smith. It was built entirely by private donations, 
some furnishing logs, others lumber, and still others shingles. 
The windows were donated by Presoott. After the material 
was hauled together :i •"bee" was made, the hody of the house 



364 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

rolled up, the roof put on, the windows put in and the flo'or 
laid, when it was ready for occup?incy. 

In size it was about fourteen by twenty and ,al>out seven 
feet high. Rude benches served for seats, while a board fas- 
tened to tlie wall back of the seats did duty for desks. A rude 
table nailed tog-ether of rough boards completed the furni- 
ture. After a few years this primitive furniture was removed 
and modern school furniture set up in its place. But it is .an 
open question which gave the most genuine satisfaction. This 
unique school Iniilding was situated at the base and on the east 
side of the high mound at the southwestern extremity of Center 
Grove. It was erected in 1863 and used for school purposes 
twelve years, or until the summer of 1875. There i& a little 
uncertainty as to who taught the first school in this structure. 
The first winter school here was taught by Miss Myra Smith 
during the winter of 1863 and 1864. There is no disagree- 
ment about this, but it is uncertain Avhether the first summer 
school was the summer before or the one after this. 

In addition to the pupils residing in the district there were 
several non-residents who attended school that winter for the 
first time after coming to the frontier. Among these were 'Miss 
Emma Blake, T. J. Francis, Albert Arthur and some others. The 
attendance that winter was fully up to the average of our best 
country schools of the present time, and far .ahead of many of 
them. It was astonishing the number of children that little log 
cabin was made to accommodate. As before stated the first snni- 
mer school was taught by Miss Julia Bennett, but whether it 
was before or after the winter school above described cannot now 
be determined. Other early teachers were G. Fairchild, Misses 
Ardella and Arietta iWaugh, C. II. Rogers, A. C. Justice and 
George Ililbert. George Hilbert was the last teacher in the 
old log schoolhouse, the last term being for the winter of 1874 
and 1875. The district was organized as an independent dis- 



OTHER INCIDENTS 365 

trict under the law of 1872 authorizing rural independent dis- 
tricts. The law was re^waled at the next session of the legis- 
lature and this was the only district in the county organized 
under it. The old schoolhouse was sold .and torn down in 1875 
and a larger and more conunodii^us one erect(»d. The first 
teacher in the new schoolhouse was A. C. Justice. 

As has heen before stated, the first pul)lie school in the 
county was taught by ^Fiss ^fyra Smith in the Okoboji dis- 
trict. This school was taught in the original Harvey Luce cabin. 
During tlie snnnncr of 1804 the school was licld in Preseott's 
barn and was taught by Miss Esther Pillsbury. Prescott had 
just built a new^ frame barn and dnring the summer it was 
used for school, church and Sabbath school purposes, as well 
as for those for which it was originally intended. The next 
winter the school was tauglit by ^fiss Syr<'na Pillsbury in :.\n a<l- 
dition to the old ''log cabin" then owned and occn|)ie<l by Rev. S. 
Pillsbury. About this time Prescott donated to the district a 
frame building, sixteen l)y twenty f(H4 in si/,(\ on condition that 
they would move it to a pro])er site and finish it off as a school- 
house. They made a Ix^e and moved the building. l)ut before 
getting it to the proposed site an accident occurred which pre- 
vented their completing their work at that time, and they left 
it intending to finish it later on. About this time Prescott's 
dwelling house was destroyed by fire, so he moved his family, 
into the building he had intended to donate to the district for 
a schoolhouse. 

Touring the summer of 180.") it was docided to erect a build- 
ing by subscription and tliis ))lan was sul>stantially caiTied 
out, eacli one donating such materials as he liad and all donat- 
ing their labor, thus obtaining a very respectable building. 
It was of native lumber, twenty by thirty feet in size, and 
ten feet high. The walls were at first bricked u]) instead of 
})eing lathed and plastered. As near as can be determined. 



36G DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the first school in the schoolhoiise was taught by Miss Syrena 
Pillsbury, succeeded by M. J. Smith. After that some of the 
old time teachers were Mrs. A. L. Buckland, ^Y. F. Pillsbury, 
Miss Anna Fairchild and several others whose names are for- 
gotten. 

As was customary in the early days, the building was utilized 
for school, church, Sabbath school, dancing parties and every- 
thing else that such a 'building could be used for. It was after- 
wards finished off in better shape and furnished with modern 
furniture^ and ranked among the better class of schoolhouses 
in the county. 

The pioneer school in the Tusculum district w,as in the old 
Thatcher cabin. It will be remembered that Thatcher was one 
of the settlers previous to the massacre, and that his wife was 
one of the women taken prisoner by the Indians, and that he 
was away from home .after provisions at the time of the mas- 
sacre, and therefore escaped the fate that overtook his neigh- 
bors. He sold his claim to Prescott, who in turn sold it to H. 
D. Arthur, and the place has been known as the Arthur place 
since that time. Tlie first school was taught by Miss Theresa 
Ridley of Estherville. She Avas succeeded by Christopher 
Pasmussen, of the same place. Other early teachers were 
Burgess Jones, Miss ISTellie Arthur and perhaps one or two 
others. 

The old cabin was used as a schoolhouse until 1870, when 
a more commodious building was erected. These four early 
schools form a quartet around which a great many pleasant 
recollections gatlicr. While everything was rough, crude, 
irregular and uiiconvontional, there was ,a heartiness, 
genuineness and earnestness of purpose^ in tliese early efforts 
that it is jjleasant to recall and not unprofitable to contemplate. 

It Avas about the year 1870 that settlers began to scatter out 
oil t\w prairies away from the lakes and groves, and the settle- 
iiiciits coiitiimcil (juitc rapid until the public land was ex- 



THE EARLY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATIONS 367 

linii-^ted, and the schools multiplied in proportion. The Lake- 
ville district was the pioneer in this respect. During the sum- 
mer of 1869 the settlers there erected a schoolhouse which 
was then considered quite an affair. It was the largest in the 
conntv at tliat tinu; aiid for many years later. The first school 
taught there was by ^Irs. Esther Carleton, who taught several 
terms in succession. The house was utilized for school, meet- 
ings and all kinds of public gatherings, and all of the old set- 
tlers in that locality recall with much pleasure the really en- 
joyable occasions connected with those pioneer days. From 
this time forward- schools multiplied, school districts were or- 
ganized and tlie school work was systematized along more 
modern lines. 

Prominent among the instrumentalities that tended to fos- 
ter and stimulate the interest in educational matters in that 
early day, was the Dickinson County Teachers' Association, 
and a few words in regard to its history will not be out of place 
here. This organization had many unique and original feat- 
ures which would hardly find place in a teachers' association 
at the present time, but it was a pronounced success all the 
same. It was a movable affair, and the meetings were held in 
the schoolhouses in the different parts of the county, which 
were always crowded to their utmost capacity. A two days' 
session was the rule, and tlie interest never flagged, but was 
ke})t on the increase to the close. The Association was organized 
in Xovember, 1873, at which time was held the fii"st Teachers' 
Institute in this county. This Institute was held .and conduct- 
ed l)y Prof. James L. Enos, of Cedar Rapids, and although 
at the time it was not counted a phenomenal success, yet it was 
the first move in a series of events that afterward became of 
great benefit to the educational interest's of the county. The 
Association Avas organized with ^Trs. A. L. Buckland as presi- 
dent and K. B. Xicol, secretiirv, who were assisted by an able 
executive coinniittee whose n.anu's liav<' not l)eeii ])reserved. 



368 DICKINSON COUiNTY lOAVA 

For several years the Association held its meetings quarterly. 
It took the management of the Teachers' Institute into its 
own hands, in which it was very successful. These institutes 
became very popular at once, each one outdoing its predeces- 
sor in the extent of attendance and the amount of interest 
and eiithusiasm manifested by all concerned. A. W. Osborn 
was county superintendent at that time, and he was succeeded 
in that office by Dr. H. C. Crary. 

For several years the Institntes were luaiiaged entirely hv 
home talent, and it was fairly demonstrated that at that early 
day we had those among us who were fnlly as competent to 
manage affairs of this kind as could have been secured by send- 
ing away and engaging professionals at a much greater ex- 
pense. Those most prominent in this work were : A. W. Os- 
born and wife. Dr. H. C. Crary and wife, Mrs. A. L. Bnck- 
land, W. F. Pillsbnry, R. B. IsTicol and Rev. J. R. Upton. 
For the first two or three sessions they received no compensa- 
tion whatever, and yet it is very much of a question whether 
better institute work was <=>ver done in any county in north- 
western Iowa. Certainly the intei-est and enthnsiasm was far 
ahead of that manifested in later days. 

After the first few years the original promoters dropped ont 
one by one and the Institutes were conducted more on tlie plan 
in vogue in other localities. The first non-resident conductor 
employed was Prof. J. Wernli, of Le Mars, and right here 
again is shown the tendency in those early times to look for 
strong men. As an institute conductor Prof. Wernli never 
had a superior in the state of Iowa, and has not today. The 
organization of the Association was kept up some six or eight 
years, wdien the changing conditions of society made more 
modern methods seem more in harmony with the public needs. 
Otlier associations have l>een organizQd and their efforts attend- 
ed witli a good degree of success, but it will not be possible 
t>i iiive tlicir Iiistorv in (h'tail. 



CHAIPTER XXX. 

THE XEED OF A RATLEOAD LOCAL SCHEMES 

THE SPIRIT LAKE & SIOUX VALLEY RAILROAD 

COMPANY ORGANIZED SURVEY MADE AID VOTED 

THE SCHEME A FAILURE THE CHICAGO, MIL- 
WAUKEE & ST. PAUL INDUCED TO MAKE A SUR- 
VEY THE CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN THE 

BURLINGTON;, CEDAR RAPIDS & NORTHERN THE 

FIRST TO BUILD IN THE COUNTY J. S. POLK AND 

THE NARROW GAUGE THE CHICAGO^ MILWAU- 
KEE & ST. PAUL PLAN TO BUILD A SUMMER RE- 
SORT AT OKOBOJI THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT 

MITCHELL AND SUPERINTENDENT MERRILL PRE- 
VENT THE PLAN BEING CARRIED OUT. 

HE PRESSING- need of railroad facilities bad long been 
seriously felt and eacb year empbasized more forcibly 
tbe disadvantages we labored under by reason of our 
isolation from railroad connections. It will be re- 
membered that tbe granting of the government land to the state 
of Minnesota for the purpose of aiding in building the Srt. 
Paul &; Sioux City road was an iniixn-tant factor in first 
directing the course of emigration and settlement to this 
county, and the diverting of tliat road from its direct route 
to the counties west of here was a great disappointment. As 
has l>een previously stated, that road was built through Osceola 
and O'Brien Counties in 1871, and Sibley was for several years 
the nearest railroad station, the distance from the different 
business points in Dickinson County being from twenty-five 
to forty miles. The terminus and nearest point on the Chicago, 






370 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Milwaukee & St. P,aiil was at Algona, some sixty miles dis- 
tant. The latter road was built on west across the state in 
1878, with Spencer as the nearest station. 

Many schemes were agitated having for their object the in- 
ducing of some railroad company to give this county a rail- 
road connection. The first movement in this direction was the 
organization of a local company in the summer of 1871, known 
as the Spirit Lake k Sioux Valley Railroad Company, hav- 
ing for its object the building of a railroad from Storm Lake, 
Iowa, to Jackson, Minnesota. The initiatory move was made 
by citizens of Sioux Rapids, under the lead of D. C. Thomas, 
Esq., and Stephen Olney, Jr. The company was organized 
at Spirit Lake, July G, 1871. The committee to draft arti- 
cles of incorporation were D. C. Thomas and Stephen Olney, 
Jr., of Sioux Rapids ; C. M. Squire and J. F. Calkins of 
Spencer ; R. L. 'iWileox and O. Rice of Spirit Lake, and H. S. 
Bailey of Jackson. The organization was completed by the 
selection of Henry Barkman of Spirit Lake, president; 
Stephen Olney, Jr., secretary. Emmet F. Hill of Spirit Lake 
was appointed engineer. 

The scheme was to call elections all along the line and get 
what aid voted they could, and then try to get some strong 
company to take it off their hands. A careful survey of the 
entire line was made in the fall of 1871, .and the route Avas 
found to be in every way feasible. Elections were called in all 
of the townships of this county and the proposed aid voted in 
all but one or two. The people of Jackson and Sioux Rapids, 
as well as those of Milford and Spirit Lake, were enthusiastic 
in support of the enterprise, but the people of Clay County 
hesitated. They thought the move was premature and could 
see no chance of success in it at that time, and consequently 
declined having anything to do with it^ even to calling an 
election. 



EARLY KAILKOAD I'KOJECTS 371 

111 the light of subsequent events, it is not very probable 
that the scheme would have succeeded at that time had all of 
the towns ak>ng the line taken hold of it and voted the required 
aid, but with the scntinient divided, rlic case was hopeless, 
and the oriianization was soon allowed to j>o to i)ieces, and it 
w.as several years before any other plan was tried for ])roeurinij: 
a road. 

In the fall of 1878, shortly after the l»uilding of the main 
line throuiih Spencer by the Chicago, Milwaukee k St. Paul 
road, that company, at the earnest solicitation of B. B. Van 
Steenburg, T. S. Seymour, Henry Barkman and others, made 
a preliminary survey of a line from Spencer to Spirit Lake, 
but the com]>any could not see it to be for their interest at that 
time to build the l)rancli, and this move like the former one was 
barren of results. 

The next move for a road into this county was by the Chicago 
& Northwestern Railway Company in the summer of 1880. 
Their plan was to construct a- branch from Goldfield, or some 
other point on their north and south line westward, eventually 
reaching Dakota and the Bl.ack Hills. Their proposed route 
was practically the one that was afterward adopted by the 
Burlington, Cedar Rapids k Xorthern Railroad. The com- 
pany required a certain amount of aid to be voted by the inhab- 
itants along the line. As usual in this county there was a divi- 
sion of sentiment as to whether the proposed road should be 
built on the north or the south side of the lakes. The northern 
route was the one selected by the company. Elections were 
called in all of the townships of the county to vote on the ques- 
tion of furnishing the required aid. The tax carried in Center 
Grove, Excelsior, Silver Lake, Diamond Lake, Spirit Lake and 
Superior. This was not as many towns as they had insisted 
on voting the tax before they would promise to build into the 
county, and consequently they violated no previous promises 



372 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

by their failure to do so. At the time thev were working up 
local aid here they wxre also making a survey and working 
up local aid for their line from Eagle Grove to H)aw.arden by- 
way of Sioux Rapids and Peterson, and it is not at all proba- 
ble that they would have built through this county even if all 
of the towns had voted the tax, ,as they found a clearer field 
and less competition on their more southern route. This was 
the last of the move by the Chicago & ITorthwestern. 

The next summer, or in 1881, Hon. S. L. Dows, of ihe Bur- 
lington, Cedar Rapids & ISTorthern made a proposition to the 
people for building their road through the county, .and for a 
third time the question of voting aid for building a railroad 
across the county was submitted to the people. The towns 
voting aid to this road were Center Grove, Spirit Lake, Silver 
Lake, Diamond Lake and Superior. The question was defeated 
in Superior the first time it was voted on, but upon the com- 
pany promising to build and maintain a depot in the township 
they reconsidered their action and voted the tax. The number 
of towns voting the tax were not as many as the company at 
first required as a condition for locating the road through the 
county, but as soon as they saw it was all they were likely to 
get, they notified the authorities of their .acceptance of it and 
the tax was levied by the auditor. Of all the taxes voted in aid 
of railroad projects in this county this is the only one so far that 
has been collected. 

The building of the road was pushed as rapidly as possible 
during the remainder of that season and the early part of the 
next, and the roail so far eniii])leted that the first train of ears 
was run into Spirit Lake on tlie eleventh day of July, 1882. 

About the same time that the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & 
!N"orthern were working their railroad project in the north part 
of the county, J. S. Polk of Dos ^roin<'s, re]nvsenting the \)v^ 
^foines & Xorthwcstcrn, ,a])i)('ar(Ml in tlic interests of his roa<L 



EARLY RAILROAD PROJECTS 373 

This road had previously been located to Fonda, in Pocahontas 
County, and a portion of it built. It was now proposed to ex- 
tend it from there to Jackson, Minnesota. !^[r. Wilkins, the 
local engineer, made a survey of the line during the summer 
of 1881. Aid was voted in the towns of Milford, Okoboji, Ex- 
celsior, Lloyd, Richland and Lakevillo. The right-of-way Ava;* 
secured .and grading commenced and carried forward with vigor 
until most of the work between Spencer and Spirit Lake was 
completed, when for some unexplained reason the work was sus- 
pended and finally abandoned. Why the company abandoned 
the project as they did, thereby forfeiting the aid that had been 
voted them, is something the public never fully understood. 
It cannot be sufiiciently .accounted for on the theory that the 
Chicago, Milwaukee &: St. Paul were occupying the same 
ground, as their connections were so widely different that they 
could hardly be said to come into competition at all. But be 
this as it may the old enil>ankni;'nts remain a tittiiig represen- 
tation of many of the ambitions and aspirations of pioneer 
times. 

During tliis time the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul were 
closely watching the other companies, and when it became evi- 
c^ent that if they did not occupy the ground some rival com- 
pany would, they Avith a great show of reluctance commenced 
preparations for building a branch into this county. They 
had seemed to regard this county as their legitimate field of 
operations, inasmuch as they had lines both to the north and 
south of it and yet they were apparently determined not to 
make a move until compelled to do so by the movements of 
their more active and progressive rivals. In the fall of 1881, 
seeing that longer delay might prejudice their interests, they 
made their survey and putting on a large force of laborers soon 
had the entire line from Spencer to Spirit Lake under con- 
struction. The first train of cars crossed the south line of the 
countv on the first day of August, 1882, but the road was not 



374 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

completed to Spirit Lake until the following spring. While 
this branch w.as nnder construction some of the active officers 
of the road conceived the idea of organizing a company for the 
purpose of building up a summer resort at Okoboji. This com- 
pany was composed of S. S. Merrill, general manager; Mr. 
Pryor, general superintendent; Greorge W. Sanborn, division 
superintendent; ]\fr. Kiniliall, chief engineer, and two or three 
others. 

Their plan was to secure what they could of the most desir- 
able land in tliat immediate locality and lay out a town and 
get their scheme under way, when they claimed they had the 
promise of the railroad company that they would appropriate 
a liberal amount for the development of the place. The land 
was purchased, the town laid out, plans for improvement 
adopted, and everything indicated the success of the en- 
terprise, when Mr. Merrill, the general manager of the road, 
was stricken with paralysis, Avhich eventually resulted in his 
death. It was Merrill who it was claimed had made the promise 
on the part of the road that they would help the enterprise, but 
there was no binding contract to that effect, and .as the man- 
agement now passed into the hands of men not in the scheme, 
the project was allowed to fall through and the parties disposed 
of their land as best they could. Later this property has come 
into the hands of J. A. Beck, who has fitted it up as one of the 
chief summer resorts of the place. 

As in all other communities the building of railroads into this 
county marked an era in the history of its growth and develop- 
ment. It seems to serve as a kind of dividing line between the 
old and tlie new, a kind of partition fence between the sturdy, 
rugged life of pioneer times and the more luxurious and less 
lal)orious life of the later days. The new order of things is 
doubtless a vast improvement on the old. It is better, far better, 
to have railroads, telegraphs and telephones, street cars and 
electric lights, prosperous communities, comfortable school- 



EAKLV RAILKOAD I'UO.IECTS 375 

houses and churches, convenient mills and factories, and the 
thousand and one other improvements and conveniences tliat 
liavo como with the new order of things, than to have continued 
in the primitive wav ut" livinii' that was inseparable from the 
life of the early pioneers. Xow, while this is true it is equally 
true that the rugged discipline of the early days has some advan- 
tages over the present more effeminate times. People are sub- 
stituting ease, comfort, and luxury for the battle and strug- 
gle of the early days. But battle and struggle are necessary ele- 
ments for the development of strength of body and vigor of 
mind. Again there w.as a vast deal of enjoyment in the rough 
and rugged life of those early times, and many will remem- 
ber with a peculiar regret the really happy lives they lived in 
the midst of the danger, exposure and toil of the pioneer days. 
But pioneering as exemplified in the history of Iowa is a 
thing of the past. The covered wagon, known .as the "prairie 
seliooner," drawn by three or four yoke of slow plodding oxen, 
and followed by a drove of loose cattle more or less numerous 
according to the means of the owner, and bearing the family 
and household goods of some hardy adventurer far beyond the 
confines of civilization to some favored grove, lake or stream 
which he has seen or of which he has heard, tliere to build up 
a home for himself and family and awnir tlie development 
which the next generation may bring, is now only a memory. 
Tlie long drives over the prairie witli the fun and jollity of the 
night spent around the cheerful campfire, where several families 
of emigrants were traveling in company, are but a pleasant 
recollection. With the inauguration of the new order of things 
the American pioneer has passed down and out. For ne,arly three 
hundred years he has occupied a prominent place in the fore- 
fnmt of American history. But his days are numbered. As 
we look away to the West we are forcibly reminded that there 
is no longer an American frontier, and when the frontier shall 
have fad('<l away the "pioneer'' will Wvo oiily in historv. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE GAME THE LAST BUF- 
FALO KILLED IN IOWA ^^HEGIRA OF THE ELk" 

EXTRACT FROM A PAPER WRITTEN BY J. A. SMITH 

FOR THE MIDLAND MONTHLY THE DEER NEVER 

PLENTY IN NORTHWESTERN IOWA A SUCCESSFUL 

DEER HUNT WONDERFUL EXPLOITS OF A CHICKEN 

DOG WOLVES "bob-cats." 




FEW IXCIDEXTS connected with the disappearance of 
the game in this locality may not be wholly devoid of 
interest. Aside from the fur-bearing animals which 
have already been mentioned, the more common were 
badgers, coyotes, foxes and prairie wolves. In addition to these 
the timber wolf and the lynx, or bob-cat, as the trappers called 
it, were occasionally met with. Raccoons were common enough 
in the groves but didn't venture out much on the prairie, and 
since the groves were limited they were not plenty. There is 
no account of any bear ever having l>een seen here. The larger 
game were deer, elk and buffalo. It is .an open question whether 
buffalo were ever so plenty here as has been popularly supposed 
or as they are known to have been in the "buffalo grass" region 
of the Dakotas and beyond. F.abulous stories were early told 
of the hunting grounds of northwestern Iowa and it is possible 
many have formed somewhat extravagant ideas of the richness 
of it. 

So far as relates to the fur-be.aring animals, no description 
of them has ever exceeded the truth, and the same is true of 
the birds, but when it comes to the larger game such statements 
need to be taken Avith some degree of allowance. It was held by 
some the lakes being the favorite headquarters of certain bands 



DISAPPEARANCE OF THE GAME 377 

of Sioux Indians they kept the game hunted down chjser than 
was done in other localities. This was doubtless true to some 
extent. Be that as it may, the buffalo had practically disap- 
peared at the time of the first attempt to settle the county in 
1856. So far as can now be ascertained there are no accounts 
or traditions of any liaving been seen in the vicinity of the lakes 
for three or four years along about that time. Trappers and 
others coming .across from the Big Sioux and beyond, occasion- 
ally reported having seen buffalo sometimes in large droves and 
then again in small numbers. But that was contiguous to the 
buffalo grass region. Xone came about the lakes at that time. 
Along about 1861 and 1862 there used to be occasional re- 
ports of stragglers being sighted on the prairie, but so far as is 
known none were killed at that time, although some reports 
are going the rounds of the papers that one was killed in 
Osceola County in 1860. One was killed in this county in the 
latter part of the summer of 1861 or 1862. He was evidently 
a tAvo-year-old. He must have straggled in around the north 
end of West Okoboji Lake, for the first seen of him he was 
coming down along Avhat is now knoAm as Des Moines Beach, 
and on reaching Given's Point he took a coui-se, swimming 
straight aeross the bay. He landed at the mouth of a ditch, 
which had Ikh-ii dug from thi' laki' inland to supply a steam 
mill, located there, with water. The ditch was nearly a hun- 
dred and fifty feet long, and although shallow where it entered 
the lake, it gradually increased in depth as it neared the mill 
until at the upper end it was about twelve feet deep. The buf- 
falo entered this ditch without hesitation, and .as he made his 
way toward the upper end he soon found himself in a trap. He 
couldn't go ahead, he couldn't climb up the sides, and he 
couldn't back out, and the mill hands putting in an ap^jearance 
about that time soon dispatched him. 



378 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

It is sniDposed by those who know something of the habits of 
the buffalo that this one must have mistaken the mouth of the 
ditch for an ordinary buffalo trail and attempted to follow it. 
It is said that in the buffalo country it is no uncommon exper- 
ience, to see a trail worn several feet deep by the buffalo fol- 
lowing each other in single file across the bluffs. How this 
lone animal strayed away from his fellows and made his 
.appearance there at the mill at that time as he did has always 
been pretty much of a mystery, but this incident can be verified 
by a large amount of unimpeachable testimony and can be 
taken as true. 

In the latter part of August, 1863, a party consisting of J. 
S. Prescott, E. V. Osborn, John Burrill, Aaron Rogers and R. 
A. Smith started for Sioux City on business .at the United 
States Land Ofiice. As they were going around the bend of 
the Little Sioux in the southwest corner of Okoboji township, 
they saw across the bend what they at first took to be two cattle 
lying down near the top of the bluff. Soon one of the boys 
made the remark that he didn't believe they were cattle, as there 
were no cattle running down there at that time. Prescott had 
a good glass which he .always caiTied on his trips across the 
prairie. This was soon produced and by its help it was easy 
to see that the animals were buffalo. The party had three 
horses along, Prescott's two on a .spring wagon, and I\. A. 
Smith's saddle horse. 

It was arranged that Prescott should drive his team behind 
the hill out of sight and await results, that R. A. Smith with 
his s.addle horse should make a wide detour to the west and get 
beyond them, while the others with the three rifles of the party 
should, by keeping the high ground between them and their 
game, get as near them as they could and deliver their fire. 
This program was carried out as planned. Osborn had a heavy 
buffalo rifle. The other two were small aff.airs and of not much 



THE LAST BUFFALO 379 

aeeonnt. As the boys came over the ridge that they had kept 
between them and their game they found themselves closer to 
it than they expected to be, and not more than fifteen or twenty 
rods away. One of tlic buffalo had got ontrj its feet and 
was stretching itself while the other w^s lying still as first 
sighted. With all the caution possible the boys took deliberate 
aim and fired at the standing buffalo. .Whether their shots took 
effect or not they did not know at the time, but they did not 
bring him down. The two animals started on a deliberate can- 
ter to the southwest. They did not go fast, as R, A. Smith, 
who was stationed out that way with his horse, had no trouble in 
keeping .alongside. But every time that he came up they were 
inclined to shear off to the left. JiToticing this peculiarity he 
thought that by keeping on one side they might be run around 
in a circle to near where they started from. After running 
about a half mile they separated, one of them keeping on the 
southwest while the wounded one coming around in a circle 
was soon approaching the starting point. The boys noticing this 
dropped down out of sight by a gopher knoll covered with weeds 
and awaited his approach. He passed within about eight rods 
of them. When directly opposite they gave him another broad- 
side. This demoralized him materially and checked his speed 
somewhat, but failed to bring him down. He kept on until 
he came to the Little Sioux River. There w.as a sand bar here 
reaching out into the stream. He went out on this sand bar 
and stopped. II'c was by this time pretty well exhausted. Os- 
born made tlio remark that lie had heard it said that you could 
not bring down a buffalo by shooting him in the forehead, and 
now he was going to find out. Accordingly he went out ahead 
about six or eight rods away, and taking deliberate aim at his 
forehead, fired. The ball went crashing through his brain, and 
he fell over on his back, his feet quivering in the air. 



380 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

An examination afterwards proved that the first ball fired 
at him passed through the fleshy part of the heart, but no^ 
striking any of the cavities, failed to bring him down. The 
boys soon rigged a Spanish windlass and dragged him out on 
dry land where they took off the hide and cut up the carcass. 
He proved to be a very large animal. The quarters must have 
weighed nearly four'hundred pounds each. Whether this was the 
last buffalo killed in Iowa or not is an o}3en question, but it 
was one of the last. There was one killed north of Spirit Lake, 
near Loon Lake, in Jackson County, Minnesota, about the 
same time, by '^Jim Palmer," who was well known to all of the 
old settlers. 

(About the same time John Gilbert, who was carrying the 
mail between Spirit Lake and Fort Dodge, reported on his re- 
turn from one of his weekly trips that the people in the vicinity 
of Old Rolfe, which was then the county seat of Pocahontas 
County, were "much wrought up and excited over having killed 
a large buffalo near there the previous week, and he gave t^lie 
names of some of the parties engaged in the liunt and some of 
the incidents of it. There may have been others killed in Iowa 
that same season, and doubtless were. Indeed, of late there 
have been several items going the rounds of the press of north- 
western Iowa \\^here different localities are claiming the dis- 
tinction of being the place Avhere the last buffalo in Iowa was 
run down and killed. 

Other instances are reported of buft'alo being soon wliicli 
were not killed. One M-.as scx^n one Sunday morning on the 
bluffs near wliere the Okoboji mill was afterward built. A. S. 
Mead reported having seen one in the vicinity of Marble Grove. 
And there were others. Since the foregoing was written it has 
been ascertained that in the summer of 1870 two buffalo were 
seen near the forks of the Little Sioux, in this county. They 
were coming from the northwest and going southeast. It was 



THE LAST BUFFALO 381 

at'tiMwards learned tlhat this same two were also seen by several 
persons in the German settlement in the Little Sionx Valley, 
in ^linnesota. What became of them was never known, and 
where they came from, and how they came to be liore alone, will 
always remain a mystery. 

X()\v, it is an o])en (jnestion as to what extent the bnffalo was 
i>:itiv(' to northwestern Iowa. Tliar peculiar jjrodnet known a.^ 
"Imtl.iilo i>rass" never irrew there, and the l)ulfah> were known 
to he v<'i'y pai-tial to it and iiexci' h'fr the re^-ions where it ^rew, 
except in times of droutli when it failed and they w(M-e oblip^ed 
to seek other pasiUire. Tliis was notal)ly the ease in 1S()3. This 
w.as the summer of Sully's tirst expedition u]i the Missonri, and 
the boys from this county connected with that expedition 
agree in the statement that the veiictation in the country 
through which they passed was burned uj) by drouth, and that 
they were obliged at times to make forced marches of twenty 
to thirty miles in search of water .and forage for their horses. 
Of course this condition of affairs would compel the buffalo to 
scatter and seek their food wherever they could find it, and 
accounts for their coming into Towa that fall in greater num- 
bers than they had done for some years previous. 

Xow, whatever question there may be .as to this having Ixsen 
the native home of the buffalo, there is none in regard to the 
elk. The prairies of nortliwest<'rn Iowa were as peculiarly 
adaj)t<'d to l>eing tlie home of the (dk as those of Dakota were the 
home of the buffalo. In the early days it was ,a rare thing to 
cross any of the large jjrairies without encountering a drove 
of (dk, and sometimes several of them. Of course they kept 
growing scarcer and more rare until the date of their final ex- 
lermination, which is tixe(1 in 1S71. An interesting articdc^ writ- 
ten by J. A Smith, funnerly e<litor of tlic Spirit Lake lli'acon, 
and ])nhHsh(Ml in tlie Midland iMonthly f(U' August, IS!)'), en- 
tith-il "The Ilegira of the p]lk," gives an account of the disap- 



382 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

pearanee of tlie elk from Iowa, and a short extract may prove 
interesting. lie says : 

"Until midsummer of 1871 a considerable drove of elk had 
found feeding grounds and comparative security for rearing 
their young in the then unsettled region of northwestern Iowa, 
where the trend of drainage is toward the Little Sioux and 
Rock Rivers and near their headquarters. A colony of settlers 
planted by Captain May in Lyon County in 1861), the rail- 
road surveyors .and advance guard of pioneers in southwestern 
Minnesota in the same year, and the inHux of homesteaders into 
Dickinson, O'Brien, Clay and Sioux Counties at that period, 
compelled this herd of elk to take refuge in the valley of the 
Ocheyedan River, a tributary of the Little Sioux. There they 
remained undis'turl)ed, except by an occasional baud of hunters, 
until a memorable July morning in 1871, when the writer at a 
distance of some two miles saw them pass southwestward doM'u 
the further border of a small stream that emptied its waters 
into the Ocheyedan River. The coigne of vantage was a lone 
house on a homestead claim in the extreme southwestern corner 
of Dickinson County, miles away from any habitation to the 
east and many more miles away from any on the west. The 
herd passed do^^al on the east hank of the stream, while the 
homesteader's cabin was on the west bank with the wide valley 
between. To the northwest the view was unobstructed for half 
a dozen miles, and it was from this quarter that the elk were 
moving from their violated jungle homes amid the tall rushes 
and willows of the Ocheyedan Valley. 

"Peering through the vista of pink and yellow shades of a 
rising summer sun, the first thought of the early summer 
dAvellers in the cabin was tkat some emigrant's cattle had stam- 
peded — a not unusual occurrence. A few minutes later and 
the use of a fieldglass disclosed tlie idenitity of the swiftly gal- 
loping animals. Ere they reached the nearest point on the 
eastern range, we were able to classify them as a drove of elk 
consisting of four old bulls, ten full grown cows, twelve year- 
lings and four calves. Judging l)v the ]ieculiar articulate move- 
ments which were plainly visible through the glass, the ])aee 
did not seem 'to be fast, but the conclusion arrived at fi'om the 
distance covered in a given time, led us to believe that it would 
be useless to try to intercept them without swift horses. Some 
weeks later (for news traveled slowly in those days), we learned 



THE PASSING OF THE ELK 383 

that the entire drove in its lieg-ira was scattered and killed l)e- 
fore reaching the Missouri River. They took refuge in the 
larger bodies of timber tKat skirt the lower waters of the Little 
Sioux River, and relays of hunters slew to the very last one this 
fleeing remnant of noble game. * * * And this in brief 
is the story of the exodus from Iowa of the American elk. * 
* * It is quite probable that the remnant, the fate of which 
these pages record, was the last vestige of the xVinerican elk 
east of the great Rocky Sierras and south of the unsalted seas." 

"Whether the writer of the above was wholly correct in his 
conclusion is immaterial. It was the last drove of elk in Iowa 
of which any. reliable account can be obtained. 

While there was occasionally a deer seen in this region in 
the early days, they were not plenty. Indeed, they were very 
rare. They are a timber animal and don't take to the open 
prairie unless they are forced to. And then again in the ter- 
rible winter of 1856 and 1857 they were either starved out or 
hunted down in the deep snows until they l>ecame almost ex- 
tinct, and (luring the next twenty-five years were met with but 
seldom. The winter of 1880 and 1881 will be remembered by 
the old-timers .as another \vinter of very deep snows. Some 
time in December of that winter a drove of over twenty deer 
put in an appearance on the Ocheyedan River and Stony Creek. 
Where they came from has always been a mystery, but ])rob- 
ably from the Northwest. 

Wallace Smith, wlio at tliat time lived on the Stony, hap- 
pened in Milford about 'the holidays, and Avhilo there told 
George Chase about the deer being in the Ocheyedan Valley, 
and together they planned to liavc a hunt for them. Accord- 
ingly when Wallace went home Chase accompanied him, taking 
with him a large chicken dog that was the joint ]u-operty of 
himself and E. D. Carlton, of S])irit Lake. This dog had pre- 
viously won a great reputation for skill and pluck, which he 
more than maintained on this occasion. After reaching home 



384 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the boys formed their plans for following the deer the next day. 
Accordingly bright and early next morning they were off, ac- 
companied by the dog "Jim.'" The snow was deep and coA^ered 
with a crnst that held the dog all right, and held the men a part 
of the time, they breaking throngh occasionally, bnt was not 
strong enongh for the sharp-pointed hoofs of the deer, they 
breaking throngh at every jnmp. 

The incidents of the day's hnnt are about what any person 
can imagine they would be under the same circumstances, and 
yet to hear the boys tell them they become interesting, and at 
times quite exciting, particularly the achievements of the dog 
**Jim." During the day he brought down three deer, two of 
which he killed outright, and the third one he tired out and 
Istayed by it until the boys came up and dispatched it. The 
iirst was a fawn, and was easily disposed of. The second was a 
doe, and made quite a fight, but the dog soon tired her out and 
made a finish of her. The last of the tliree was a young, 
strong buck, and he put up the fight of the occasion. Except 
for the snow he doubtless would have escaped, for the dog h,ad 
been doing pretty hard work and must have been by this time 
somewhat fatigued, but the sight of the big game ''braced" him 
up and he went in to win. How long the fight lasted nobody 
knows, but when the boys came up both combatants were lying 
on the ground completely exhausted. The dog had not l)een 
able to inflict any mortal hiirt, and the buck had not been able 
to get away. Every time the deer would make an eff'ort to rise 
\}]) the dog would grab him by the back of the neck, and they 
W(»uld have a tus:sle there in the snow. The boys soon put an 
end to the struggle by dispatching the deer, which was the 
largest one they took that day. They brought in seven in .all, 
including the three that were credited up to old "Jim." 

A day or two later than this L. J. and L. W. Vreeland, of 
Spirit Take, encountered this same drove farther north and 



OTHER IJAME 385 

snceeoded in securing' two or tlire<> of tlieni. Wliat became of 
the balaneo of the herd is not known, hnt |)rol)ahly they were 
hunted down and kiHed before o;etting out nf tlie state. 

Xow, it is nior<' than j)r(>l)able that there are yet some deer 
in the timber regions of the state, -but the incident jns't related 
is the story of the last flock of deer seen in northwestern Towa. 

Foxes, coyotes and ]n*airie wolves were numerous up to about 
1870 or 1875, since which time with the i>radual seftlement and 
iin])rnvem('nt of the cnuntry. they iiax'e iiradually disappeared 
until they are practically extinct or nearly so. The fox is al- 
ways respected for his smartness, and the prairie wolf despised 
for his meanness. It was not possible, until about 1880 for 
farmers to keep sheej) wirli ]u-ofit on account of the depreda- 
tions of these marauders. Tn addition to the })rairie wolves thcrr 
was occasionally seen a large grey wolf, known as the timber 
wolf. They seemed to be thicker set and stouter, stockier built 
than the wolves of the timber country, but were so rare that 
they never cut much figure in the game of northwestern Iowa. 
Mr. Ijarkman used to get one occasionally in his extensive ])ur- 
chases of fur in this region. 

Another animal occasionally encountered in this region was 
a species of lynx, known among tli!' trappers as the ''bol)-cat." 
He Inid long strong forelegs; thick, heavy shoulders; a shi>rt, 
thick neck, .and a round head, a somewhat lank body, and a 
>hort tail, which accounts for the name "bob-cat.'' He had the 
tassels on the tij)s of his ears, which unmistakably jiroclaimed 
him a member of the lynx family. His feet were large in 
proi)ortion to the body, and the tracks he left in the snow were 
terror inspiring to tlios<' not acquainted with the animal and his 
peculiarities. One of thes(^ animals w,as killed in the winter 
of 18(»i> and 1870 northwest of Spirit Lake, by a young man by 
tile name of Fenton, who lived at ^farble Grove. Either that 
winter or a year later oiu' was killed l)y Fraid< .Mead out west 
of West Okoboji. Frank and a young man by the name of 



380 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Ilog'le were tog-etlior out there trapping- miiskrats. Tt was 
their custom to make the rounds of their traps during the day, 
bringing their game in and taking care of their fur in the even- 
ing, and they were not very particular about throwing the car- 
casses far away from the tent. One night Frank heard some- 
thing prowling around and crunching the carcasses that had 
been thrown out the preceding day, and crawling out of bed he 
went to the door of the tent,, and cautiously putting aside the 
curtain that served as a door he was suddenly startled by the 
hideous countenance of an enormous bob-cat within six inches 
'of his face. Dodging back into the tent he seized his revolver 
and finished the animal there and then. He brought the hide 
in next day and was quite proud of his trophy. 

A son of Homer Calkins, living .at that time in a bend of the 
Little Sioux -southwest of Milford, had a lot of traps set for 
^mall game, such as muskrat, mink, etc. One morning on visit- 
ing his traps he saw a fierce, hideous looking animal in one 
of them. He had no idea what it was, having never seen nor 
heard of anything like it. Be at once provided himself with 
a willow club of suitable size and tackled the brute, and for a 
time it was an open question which would win, the boy or the 
bob-cat. But the boy was strong and plucky, and delivered his 
blows fast and furious and soon had the satisfaction of seeing 
his antagonist show signs of weakness, when a few more well- 
directed blows finished the jol), and the furious beast surcund);'d 
to the inevitable and the boy carried home the hide in triumph. 
None of the animals have been seen nor heard of here since 
about that time. 

The foregoing incidents are not regarded as either interesting 
or important, excej)t as they mark the dividing line between the 
past .and the present, the old and the new. It notes the time 
and place of the disappearance of the game of northwestern 
Iowa, which was once popularly supposed to be a hunter's para- 
dise. 



p 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

KAULV riSIIIXG— THE SIPPIA' BEGINS TO DI- 
MINISH MEASURES ADOPTEU EOR THEIR PROTEC" 

.pjy^- THE FISH HATCHERY AT AXAMOSA 

BRANCH AT SPIRIT LAKE— THE STATE HATCHERY 
MOVED TO THE LAKES IT IS INJURIOUSLY AF- 
FECTED BY BOTH HIGH AND LOW WATER AND IS 
FINALLY ABANDONED LEGISLATIVE RESTRIC- 
TIONS FISH SHANTIES PROHIBITED STATE 

BUILDS DAM ACROSS THE OUTLET— WINTER FISH- 
ING PROHIBITED THE CLOSED SEASON. 

EHHAPS a few words regarding the fishing and the in- 
terests connected with it may not be wholly uninterest- 
ing. Fabulous stories have been told first and last of 
the Spirit Lake and Okoboji fishing, but no ordinary 
report has been givi'u out tbat exceeded the truth as it was in 
the early days. These conditions remained in force until near 
the close of the seventies, when it began to be noticed that the 
fish were beginning to thin out or get scarce. This w.as due to 
two principal causes. In the first place- no restrictions had ever 
been placed on the number of fish taken, or the manner of tak- 
ing them, and the result was that fish were taken away in enor- 
mous quantities.' Parties would come from long distances in 
every direction, bringing their seines and si>ears and a boat, 
and barrels for packing fish and salt for putting them down. 
and going into camp wonld remain as long as they cared to, and 
then give way to some other party. * 

In this way hundreds of tons were taken. In many instances, 
where parties didn't understand putting them d..\vn jToperly, 
they spoiled before reaching home and had to Ik:- thrown away. 



388 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Thi~ class was never popular here and soon won the appella- 
tion ''swill barrel fisherniem." Tn the second place, dnring' the 
high water of the ten years following 1ST4, vast nnmbers went 
down stream that never fonnd their way hack. The two mills 
on the (intlct were hnilt before the legislatnre ])asscd the act 
reqniring the owners of waterpowers to ])nt tishways in their 
dams, conseqnently neither of the dams on the ontlet were pro- 
vided with fishways. It was an easy nuitter for fish to go down 
stream, bnt imixissible for them to get back. Tt is probable th.at 
more fish went down stream and failecl to find tlieir way back 
dnring those years of high water than have ever been canglit 
out of the lakes since fishing first began. In view of these facts 
it soon began to be talked tliat measnres mnst be devised to 
prevent their too rapid destrnction, and also to replenish the 
diminishing snpply. 

To meet the emergency the Seventeenth General Assembly, 
in the spring of 1878, passed an act requiring the owners of 
dams "to constrnct and maintain fishways of suitable capacity 
and facility to aftord a free passage for fish up and down 
through such water course when the water of said stream is 
running over said dam." In the same act all dams or obstruc- 
tions not provided with fishways were declared nuisances, to 
be abated under the law relating to nuisances. This section of 
the law was afterwards declared unconstitutional so far as it 
related to dams built previous to the passage of the law, and .as 
both of the dams on the outlet to the lakes were built ju'ior to 
that time no fishways were ever erected in them. 

In the spring of l.SSO, tlic state legislatnre cnack'd a law 
j)roviding foi- an additional fish h.atchery at Spirit Lake, and 
the appointment of an assistant fish commissioner. Previous 
to this time the state had erected a hatchery near Anamosa, in 
Jones County, and ^Ir. Shaw, the fish commissioner, used occa- 
vioiially to send to the l,td\('s (pnintities of small fish, bnt the 



TROTECTION AND PROPAGATION OF FISH 3b9 

distance was so great and the means df trans])ortation so inade 
qiiate that the anionnt of replenishing done throniih that channel 
Avas of lirrh' if any henofit. 

A. A. Mosher, (if Spirit r>ake. was appointcnl assistant ('(un- 
niissioner. lie at once wont to work with the limited appro- 
priation .-at his dis]iosal, and erectecl on tho isthmus an estah- 
lishnient h_v wliich he was to siipph-nicnt the work of the state 
hateherv. hv securing from there spawn and young tish. and 
earing for them until they acipiired sufficient vitality to he 
placed in the lakes. The experiuient was not as successful as it 
might have l>een liad the appropriation 1)een more liheral. Fn 
1880 the legislature decided to discontinue the state hatclierv 
in Jones County and move the whole atiair to Sj)irit Lake. 

William Larrabee was governor at the time and he aj)j)oint.'d 
E. D. Charlton, of Spirit Lake, fish commissioner. The office of 
assistant commissioner was discontinued. Governor Larrahee 
himself selected the new location, or rather intimated what lo- 
cation he would approve, and ^fr. Caidton ])roc('cd('(1 at once 
to move up such of the state's pro[)erty .as was worth moving 
and commenced the work of rehuilding the hatchery in its new 
location. Mr. Carlton at once proceeded to business and as 
rapidly as he could with the limiteil ap])ro|)riation at his com- 
mand, he constructed the necessary vats .and tanks and such 
other a])pliance^s as were understood to he the pro])er thing in 
enterprizes of this kind, and during tlic four years of his in- 
cumbency made a fair stai't in the work of tish culture. Mi*. 
Carlton retained the position until the s])ring of IS'.M), when 
he was superseded by !^^r. K. K. Soper of Emmet County. 

During ^Fr. Soper's incund)ency the legislature failed to 
make any ai)propriation for conting('nt ex]M'nses, consecpu'utly 
he was handicapped by lack of funds. TJicre was a little left 
over from the fornici- a[)|)i"oi)riation and wIh-ii that was ex- 
hausted he had no fumls to woi-k with, so that ahont all he couM 



390 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

do was to draw his salary which he did with commendable regu- 
larity. 

In 1892 Mr. Soper was succeeded by Jut Griggs of O'Brien 
County. Mr. Griggs didn't make much of a success of propa- 
gating fish but he was a holy terror after the violators of the 
law .against fishing out of season. Measures for the protection 
and preservation of the fish have been adopted by the state as 
follows: First, the Code of 1873 prohibited the taking of fish 
"with any net, seine, wire basket, trap, or any other device 
whatsoever, except with a hook and line, snare, gun, or spear." 
March 20, 1884, the General Assembly passed a law with the 
following provisions : "That no person shall take by spearing 
with a gaff, spear or other device any fish from any of the per- 
manent lakes or ponds or outlets or inlets thereto within the 
state of Iowa between the first day of Xovember and the thirty- 
first day of May next following." Another section of this act 
made it "unlawful for any person, company or corporation 
knowingly to buy, sell or offer for sale, or have in their pos- 
session any fish taken in violation of the foregoing section." 

In 1890 the Twenty-third General Assembly rej^ealed all 
former restrictions and enacted as follows: "It shall be unlaw- 
fiil for any person to take from any waters of the state any fish 
in any manner except by hook and line, except minnows for 
bait. Also that it shall be lawful to spear buffalo fish and 
suckers between the first day of Xovember and the first day of 
March following." This latter clause was repealed in 1894. 
The reason for this rei)eal was tliat too many of the fisluTnien, 
if allowed to s})ear at .all, took evcrvthiiig that came in sight 
whether of buff'alo or game fish, and then could usually so cover 
up their tracks that it was impossible to get any evidence 
against them. 

The Twenty-sixth (ii'neral Assembly in ISIHI ])roliibited fish 
shanties and als<( jjroliibited any person from using more than 



THE FISH HATCHERY 391 

twt) lines with one hook on each liiu'. Perhaps a little ex- 
planation is due right here. Much <»f the early winter tishing 
was done in small. shanties. These shanties were from fivc^ to 
eight feet long, from three to six feet wide, and from four to 
seven feet high. They had floors through which was a trap 
door, usually across one end. They were made of the lightest 
material obtainable so as to be easily moved from })lace to place. 
They were set on runners in order to make the work of moving 
as light as possible. A small sheetiron stove usually oceupie<l 
one corner. When i)roperly banked up they could be made 
warm and comfortable. It was customary to cut a hole through 
the ice the full size of the trap door and jxissibly a little larger 
and then move the shanty over the hole and bank it up snug and 
tight. The darker the shanty can be made the plainer objects 
can be seen on the bottom of the lake. It is a surprise to the 
uninitiated the distinctness with which objects can be seen on 
the Iwttom of the lake to the depth of from twenty to thirty 
feet. 

The number of fish taken in those shanties was very con- 
siderable but not so large as has been popularly supposed, and 
had tiie spearing been confined to buffalo fish and suckers, as 
was the intention of the law of 1890, it would have been a 
l)enefit to the other fish rather than .a damage. The buffalo are 
very destructive to the spawn of other fish, and it is an open 
question whether the prohibition of sj^earing is a benefit or a 
damage to the fishing interests. Most of the fish taken in tlio 
shanties were buffalo anyway ami it is claimed by those who 
have studied the subject carefully that the number of small 
fish taken with spears bears no comparison t<) the anumnt of 
spawn destroyed by rli<' rapacious l»nffal<i. Tli.' fish taken 
in this way were usually sold to buyers who peddled tlicni 
tlirongh rh<' adjacent conntry and in neighborinii towns. 



392 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

In locating the liatchery on the isthmns the question of the 
rise and fall of water in the lakes was not! considered. This 
afterwards proved a very important factor and the one on which 
the nltimate success or failure of the scheme largely depended. 
In times of high water the tanks were flooded by backwater 
and it was impossible to clean tht^m and they became foul to .an 
extent that endangered the life of the spawn and young fish. 
On the other hand, in times of low water the supply was shut 
off, the water in Spirit Lake being lower than the tanks. 
Either extreme Avas fatal to the success of the hatchery. Had 
the tanks been set high enough to be absolutely secure against 
backwater, and then a storage tank and power pump put in to 
secure a supply in times of low water, possibly the ])ro])aga- 
tion of native tish might li.ave been made a success. But this 
was not done and the hatchery was allowed to go into disuse be- 
fore it could be fairly demonstrated whether it was of any prac- 
tical value or not. 

^Ir. Griggs, during his term of office, worked bard to enforce 
the law and ])revent illegal fishing in which lie was reasonably 
successful. He was succeeded in 1894 by George E. Delevan 
of Estherville. jMr. Delevan made no attem])t in the direction 
of collecting spawn and pro])agating fish for the ])urpose of 
restocking the lakes, but gave his attention ])rinei])ally to en- 
forcing the laws .and protecting the fish already here. In A])ril, 
189G, the legislature made provision for erecting a dam across 
the outlet for the purpose of holding the water back except in 
limes (if high water, thereby raising the average level of the 
lakes. I'his.d.ani was built in the summer of 1896 under ^^r. 
Delev.an's direction. It was built of stone and cement and was 
calculated to be of sufficient height to hold the water in tilie 
lake to about its medium level before any was allowed to escape. 
On the top of this dam it is proposed to liave a system of screens 
and racks of aufficii-nt capacity to .allow a free flow of water 



THE FISH CAR 393 

♦"•vcr the (hiiii, luit \o pi'cvciil the pnssiiii'i' "1" tisli. Tills is a 
move in the I'iiilit direct i<iii. ami if the <lain staii<!s tli<' test <>1' 
liiii'li water, tile most impurtaiit one so far made. The w.ater 
was vcrv low the snminer the dam was Iniilt and has not since 
been hiii'h <'iion,iih to niii out of tho lake. 

Another i)roject which Mr. Didovan lias work<'d with a ii'ood 
doffroe of snceess is the takiiii>- of fish in the havoiis of the Mis- 
sissippi liiver and sliipi)ini>' them to the inland lakes and 
.streams. The Bnrling-ton, Cedar Ivapids <!e Xorthern ]vailroad 
Company oiferi-d th(> stati' an old superintendent's car on condi- 
tion that they would remodel it and ht it np for a fish car. 
^Ir, Delevan presentetl the snhject to the legislature and suc- 
ceeded in seciirin<»' an a|)propriation for this purpose and he 
soon had his lisli car ready for business. It is a well known fact 
that the Mississippi River, throngh its entire leng'th, is lined 
with bays, inlets and bayons and that in times of freshet these 
are flooded with water from the river, and as the water i>'oes 
down they become land locked [londs with neither inlet nor out- 
let. These ponds are often well stocked with fish from the 
river, and as the water becomes stagnant they die in great num- 
bers. Mr. Delevan's scheme was, as soon as possible after the 
spring overflow, to seine out the more ])rolific of these ponds 
and ship the fish thus obtained to the inland waters, and it was 
for this purpose that the car was fitted np. So far the experi- 
ment h.as been attended with a good degree of success, and if 
intelligently and energetically continued, bids fair to he of ma- 
terial advantage to the fishing interests. 

In 180G the legislature changed the name from ''fish com- 
missioner" to ''fish and game warden," thus indicating that in 
the futuiv tlHM-e would he ad<le(l to the already iindtifarious 
duties of the position that of limiting down and securing tla^ 
punishment of \dolators of the laws against illegal hunting and 
fishing. 'I'he oi-iginal idea of ])ropagating and reariiiii oui' ua- 



394 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



IOWA 



tive fish for the purpose of restocking the lakes or keeping up 
the supplv seems to have been abandoned. As to whether this 
is good policy or not there is a wide difference of opinion. Those 
'who are cognizant of the degree of success which attended the 
efforts of the state of Xew York and some others to restock their 
depleted lakes, are of the opinion that it was a mistake to allow 
the old hatcherv to go into disuse and would like to see it re- 
built, enlarged and placed in the hands of a competent natur- 
alist with the understanding that it should be worked to its full- 
est capacity. In 18!»,S the legislature passed an act ])rohibiting 
winter fishing altogether and fixing the closed season from the 
first of Xovember to the fifteenth of Mav followinu. 




MILWAUKEE DEPOT AT OKOBOJI. 



CHAPTER XXXIIT. 

EARLY BOATING THE FIRST SAILBOATS THE 

FIRST' REGATTA A LUCKY ACCIDENT OTHER 

BOAT RACES THE YACHT CLUB A NARROW ES- 
CAPE THE FIRST STEAMERS THE FAVORITE AND 

ALPHA LARGER STEAMERS DEMANDED THE HIA- 
WATHA THE BEN LENNOX AND THE QUEEN 

OTHER STEAMERS THE OKOBOJI. 




jLOSELY connected with the resort business, and indeed 
a part of it, is the beating business. The adaptiveness 
of tlie lakes to this sport was what attracted the atten- 
tion of the early pioneers. Previous to this time it is 
supposed to have been the headquarters of a band of Yankton 
-Sioux as a temporary resort, but there is no evidence that they 
ever regarded it in the light of a permanent home. It has al- 
ways been the popular idea that the Indians were very expert 
in handling canoes and in everything pertaining to water craft. 
Xow, so far as the Sioux are concerned, this may be or may not 
be true. One thing is certain, there is absolutely no evidence 
of their ever having had any canoes or craft of any kind on the 
lakes. During the summer of 1857 the boys at ditfereut times 
made careful search of places where they suspected canoes might 
be concealed but never succeeded in finding any and finally came 
to the conclusion there were none here. The query at once be- 
comes interesting: Did the Indians of this Idcalitv ever h.ave 
any means of navigating the lakes, except tlic tciiipdrary rafts 
that could be quickly built to meet an emergency and as quickly 
destroyed ? It would seem that if they had ever had canoes on 
the lakes in any nund)er some vestige of them would have been 
discovered by the white settlers, but nothing oi' the kind was 



EARLY BOATING 397 

ever found aiul it is an open question wlietlier they ever luid any. 

Xo sooner had the white settlers establislied themselves here 
in the spring- of 1857, than about the first thing they set them- 
selves about was to provide some means for crossing the narrow 
places. At first they used a raft, but early in the summer two 
log canoes were constructed, one in Okoboji Grove bVW. B. 
]Jrown and Lawrence Furber, and the other in Center Grove by 
K. V. Wheelock .and Lewis llavt. 'riifv were made from bass- 
wood logs about twelve feet long, and possibly from twenty to 
twenty-two inches in diameter. They were capable of carrying 
two persons each in still water, provided they kept very quiet. 
This was the size of the lake fleet that summer. 

It will be remembercMl that a ■^mall sawmill was brought in 
and set up late in the fall. Several rowboats were built as soon 
as lumber could be had. They would be considered nondescript 
affairs compared with the graceful craft of more recent times, 
but they were staunch and safe and supplied a severely felt 
want. Xot much was done in the way of sailbo.ats for several 
years. Occasionally some one would rig a small sail to a row- 
boat and thus relieve the monotony as well as the labor of row- 
ing, but it was not until .along in the seventies they turned their 
attention to sailboats. Who was the first to construct a sailboat 
'on the lake is not positively known. 

O. Crandall and a man boarding with him l)v the name of 
Benedict put up .a boat in the early seventies which they called 
the *']\rartha Washington," which was one of the first, if not 
the very first, sailboat on the lakes. About the same time Ililly 
Lilywhite built one on Spirit Lake which he name(l the "Old 
Tub.' Zina Henderson, at Okoboji, built a little two-nuister 
which was christened with the taking n.ame ''Lady of the Lake." 
B. B. Van Steenburg was much interested in the early boating 
movements and had a yacht ])Ut u]) from a model sent him from 
Xew York, wliieli lie claimed wa- tiie same as that of some of 



398 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the fastest sailers in the Xew Y(jrk yacht chih. She was very 
staunch, set low in the water and would stand up under a cloud 
of canvas. He named her the "Spook." In order to work up 
enthusiasm in the yachting interest, jNlr. Van Steenburg' pro- 
posed a series of races, and to encourage the sport offered a 
purse of twenty-iive dollars to be distributed in prizes to the 
contestants. The first of these races came off August 1, ISTO. 
There were six entries : First, the ''Old Tul)," by William Lily- 
white, L. W. Waugh, captain; second, ''INfartha 'Washington," 
O. Crandall, R. L. Wilcox, captain; tliird, "Lady of the Lake," 
Henry Baxter, Zina Henderson, ca])tain; fourth, "Little HeA 
Wagon," A. A. Mosher, owner and cajitain ; fifth, "Queen of 
the West," J. F. Hall, owner and captain; sixth, "Oknl)oji 
Star," George Chase, owner and captain. Van Steenburg did 
not put his own boat into the race, but ke])t it for the use of 
visitors. 

There were no steamers on the lake then. The course was the 
whole length of West Okoboji and Ijack, the two buoys h.aving 
been placed as near to each end of the lake as possible and give 
the boats room to pass .around them, thus making tlie distance 
to be sailed fully twelve miles in a right line, but as there was 
a strong south wind they had to beat across the lake several 
times before the south buoy was turned, thus making the actual 
distance sailed several miles greater. Tliey started from a ]ioint 
opposite Van Steenburg's house near the nortli end of the lake. 
Soon after getting their send off it became ai)})arent tliat the real 
contest w,as to be betwe<m the Old Tnb and tlie Martha Wash- 
ington, both l>eing handled l)y experienced and skillful sailors. 
They soon left the others far beliiiid and b(>at their way up to 
the south buoy, which they turned witliin fnni- minutes of oacli 
other, the Martha being in the lead. Tliey now spread out their 
canvas, pulled up their centerboards and made a straight run for 
the north buov six miles awav. Tn und<inii this rnn tlie Old Tnb 



THE FIRST BOAT RACE 399 

passed the Martha iWashiiijititn and made the turn about five 
luiimtes first, but in beating hack to the startin<i- point the ^far- 
tha gained on her eoni]ietitor s(^ tliat she was less tlian two min- 
ntes behind when thev passed the score. In aimthcr halt' mile 
she would have evened thinjis u]), but the ()ld lub t(K)ki first 
money, rhe ^Martha second, and a half hour larcr (Jeorge (^hase 
came in M-ith the Okoboji St.ar and took third. The other three 
boats made no pretense of hnishiiiii- the race. The Okoboji Star 
was a new boat that luul just Ix'en built, and Mr. ^Wangh is re- 
ported to liave made the remark at the cdusc of the race tli;i1 he 
couhl take the Star and beat either of the others. 

A curious accidentj oecurred in eonnection with this boat that 
might have prove(l iimcji more serious than it really was. After 
tlie race ^Ir. C.'liase h'ft the Star for a >]iort time in cai'o of W. 
B. Arnohl. The next morning .Mr. .Vi-iiold thouglit 
i' woiihl be a fine idea to take his family and a 
few friends out for a sail. The party consisted of some six 
or eight women and children, the only two men being .Mr. Ar- 
nold and Mr. AlK^e, of Spencer, neither of whom kn<'w any- 
tliing al)out handling a sailboat. They started off vei-v smoothly 
for a time, but after ]>assing the protecting bluffs of Pillsbury's 
Point tliey found the wind w.as lilowing a stiff breeze from tihe 
south and their boat plowed the water at a lively rate. Things 
began to look serious, and .Mr. .Vniold decided to get back if he 
could. In bringing his boat around, instead of coming around 
head to the wind as a sailor would, h(» "jibed! roun<r' and in 
doing so the Ixvat ca])si/,ed, throwing the whole party into the 
lake. Messrs. Arnold an<l Albee direcled and encouraged the 
women and cliiMren to hang on to some part of the boat (U* rig- 
ging so that they might kee|) afloat until they were I'l^sciu^d or 
drifted ashore. ^Ir. Olin Pillsbury saw ilie ai-cident from his 
place and at once set out in a sukiII rowboat to render su<di as- 
sistance as he might. His boat was liyht and two was all he 



400 DICKINSON COUNTY • IOWA 

could take at a time. He aceordiiiijly took in Mr. and My>. A1- 
bee and directed the others to hold on and he would he hack as 
soon as possihle. He soon came hack for the second load. By 
that time the capsized boat was driftini>' direct fr>r Dixon's Beach 
and would evidently be ashore before a third trij) could be made. 
After the first scare was over the party had no ])articulai- n-ou- 
ble in hanging to the boat or rigging. They all reached solid 
ground in safety witih no more serious results than a thorough 
wetting, some hysterics and a gdod scare. It is rejiorted that 
Mr. Arnold has never been out in a sailboat since. The only 
Avonder is tkat the whole party were not drowned. 

Indeed, any intelligent ])erson watching and noting the reck- 
less carelessness manifested hy many summer tourists in some 
of their wild ])ranks with sailhoats, can only wonder that acci- 
dents are not far more frequent than they ai'e. It's the old 
stor}', ''fools for luck." If they knew more about boating they 
would not dare take the chances they do. 

A second race on ])ractically the same lines as the tirst was 
arranged to come off over the same course on Satui-day, the six- 
teenth of Septendjer. The same hoats were on hand tor the 
race, except the Old Tuh and the (^ueen. I'lie Old Tub was 
on Spirit Lake, and it was too mut-h work to get her o\-er the 
isthmus, and the Queen liad liad enough of it. 'i'liis time Mr. 
Waugh handled ihe Martha Washington, 'i'he wind w.-is Mow- 
ing a perfect gale, acconipanicMl with some rain, hnt the boys 
istarted in for their race all th;- same. All of the boats were 
soon l)lown ashore or disahleil, exeejjt the Mail ha Washington, 
which under the careful liandliug < f .Mr. Wangli n.iade lli(> race 
and pocketed the jiri/.e. 

Other and larger ci-afts were adde 1 to ihc Miilln.at tleel llie 
next season, the most note(l ot which were tlie "Foam," hy T. >\. 
Fr.ancis, of Spirit bake, and the ""Swan," hy dames F. Hall, of 
Okohoji. The "Petrel," hy ijie IbMiderson hoys, was put (tn 



OTHKK RACES 401 

a little later. During- the next suniiKer ii \\;i- ]ini|)(.sc(l to liave 
a three days repitta, eonimenein<»' on the fourth <lay of July. 
As before Mr. \<\n Steenburg' i)ut up a rAvcuty-tivc (hilhir purse 
in athlition to which each of the boat owners put \\\) An entrance 
fee. As before there were six entries. I'he Foam aufl the Swan 
were new boats, wliiU' the Martha Washington and the Okoboji 
Star were not entered. The Foam was handhd by L. W. 
Waugli, .and tlie Swan by Owen Gowan, both skillful sailoi->. A 
writer iii the Beacon (who was an eye witness) descril)('s the 
outcome of the first day's, race as follows: 

"The Foam turned the buoy just one minute and thirty 
seconds in advance of the Swan, and when they crossed tlie 
score on the downward passage the distance k'tween them Avas 
so short that betting was considered decidedly unsafe. Of 
course the interest in the race centered in these two crafts and 
the outcome was eagerly awaited, and nobody was .much sur- 
prised when they came in just two minutes and thirty seconds 
apart, the Foam leading." 

Baxters Lady of the Lake got away with tliird money, lieat- 
ing all 'Competitors of last year. The second day the wind was 
so light that the race was decidedly uninteresting. The entries 
were the Foam, Spook, Swan, OlJd Tub and Lady of the Lake. 
The Foam, by reason of her enormous spread of canvas, soon 
distanced all competitors, easily winning first place. The Swan, 
Spook, Old Tul) and Lady of tlic Lake came in in the order 
named. 

On the third and last day but tliree of the boats contested, 
the Foam, the Swan and. the Spo<tk. Soon after starting the 
Swan was disabled, and the Foiiiii ha<l tilings her own way. 

A yacht club was formed at this rime. Rules for nicMsuriiig 
boats, for figuring time allow.ances and for governing races gen- 
erally were adopted and published in pam])hlet form. The first 
officers of the vacht club were Conmiodore, L. W. Waugh ; Vice- 




Elva. 
Foam. 



Spook. 



Sailboat. 

Uolden Rule. 



THE YACHTING FLEET 403 

Commodore, Charles G. Chesebro ; Hear Commodore, Ileury 
Baxter ; Secretary, A. A. Moslier ; Treasurer, Henry F. Rice : 
Measurer, L. W. SWaugh. Several other races were had first 
and last under the management of the yacht club in many of 
which a good degree of interest was taken, but aftier a time it 
became an old story. The interest died out and the 3'acht club 
went to pieces. 

In the meantime the Henderson l)r()tliers bought the Foam 
and made regular trips with her from Spirit Lake to Arnold's 
Park. She was the first craft of .any kind on the lake to run for 
passengers, and did a fair stroke of business. A somewhat sin- 
gular incident occurred in connection with these trips that i'^ 
worth preserving. One day A. A. Henderson started from town 

on his return trip, accompanied by Morgan and E, V. 

Osborn. The weather M-as unsettled .and threatening, but for 
all that the boys had no apprehension of any trouble. They 
started from the dock, made the run through the narrows and 
past Stony Point all right when they noticed a rapidly moving- 
cloud, more threatening in appearance than anything they had 
before seen. It proved to be a regular twister. Henderson pro- 
posed dropping under the lee of one of the sheltering points and 
wait until the storm had passed, but the others were very anxious 
tK) get home and urged him to keep on his course, claiming that 
with their present r.at.e of speed they would make it in twenty 
minutes more and that it would probably be that time before 
the storm would reach them. Henderson yielded and kept his 
course. When pretty well across the h^vcr lake the squall struck 
them. They had just before lowered and furled their main 
sail and were running with the jib alone. As the squall struck 
it caught the boat up almost out of the water and turned it bot- 
tom upwards and Inirh'd it, down with sncli force as to drive the 
mast some twelve feet into the mini in flic bottnni of tlu' lake 
and tliere she stuck fast. 



404 



DICKINSON COUNTY ■ IOWA 



Henderson was the first to extricate himself from the rijiciiiiT 
and climb to the top of the overturned boat. For a moment he 
thonght his companions must he drowned, as they were nowhere 
to be seen. Soon, however, they swam out from under the e.a])- 
sized boat and succeeded in clind)int»' uj) l)y the side of their 
companion. Fred Roff was watching the boat from the shore 
when the flaw struck. At first the cloud between him and the 
boat was so dense that he could see nothing, but as soon as it 
passed he saw the predicament they were in, .and as soon as pos- 
sible j)rocured a rowboat and started for their relief and brought 
them off in safety. 

It will be impossible to foHow this history of the early yachts 
and yachbing farther as more space h.as already been given it 
than was at first intended. Interest in tlie sj^u't has l)een kent 
up since that time in varying degrees of intensity. Xew boats 
have from time to time been added to the yachting fleet and 
much good natnr(Ml rivalry indulged in. In the later days many 
summer tourists have aecpnred interests in the ncighborliood of 
the lakes, and it is not ])robal)le they will allow the iin'igorating 




STARTING FOR THE RACE. 



THE FIRST STEAMKR8 405 

;lllil IllMllly spoi-t U> Inillillisli ;iim1 (lie nut. MilUV iirc iiivcsiiuM- 
ill rile luodcni hr.iiicli, Iml rlic ciitliusiastic sailnr will stick to 
his sheets aiul spars ami insist that iinthiiii:' can iinite take the 
]ihice et 

"A wet slioet ami a tlowinii,' sea 
A wind that follows fast, 
Ami tills the white and swelling sail 

Ami Itemls the lialhiiit mast." 

The tirst steamer on the lake was the old "Favnrite." She wa- 
a small, strongly built steam launch with a carrying capacity 
for about thirty jiassengors. She was built on the Cedar River 
and was run there for a time, after wliicli she was shijiped bv 
rail to Varharreii of Spencer, and he loade<l lu'r aboard a pair 
of trucks and sent her np to Okoboji and mrned her over to John 
IFackett, who was to fit her np and rnn for passengers l)etween 
Arnold's Park and Spirit Lake. E. O. Henderson, of Okoboji, 
was employed as engineer. After overli.aiiling her and readjust- 
ing lu'r machinery they soon had her ready for business. At 
the time of her first trip the Muriihy temperance meetings were 
being conducted in the "M. E. Church in town, and it was dur- 
ing the progress of one of these meetings that the outside still- 
ness was brok(Mi by tlu^ (dear, sharp notes of a steam whistli? 
ringing out <»n the evening air. It was the first steam whistle 
ever heard in Dickinson County. The astonished audience were 
taken completely by surpris<' but few if any of them having 
heard of the fitting up of the steamer. The result was that 
every boy in tlie crowd maile a straight shoot for t1i<' d(MU- and 
the bo.at landing, leaving Mr. Mur])hy with a somewhat dimin- 
ished audience. The Eavorit,' was the only steamer mi the 
lakes for two years or nior<'. 

In the sumnu'r of 1SS2 the Ibirlingtou, ('edar Kajjids \- 
Xorthern Railroad ( 'ompany broughi uj) from Burlington a 
steamer, the "Al|»lia," wlii(di they placed on S])irit Lak<'. Her 



406 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

capacity was about forty-five passengers. Like the Favorite 
she Avas staunch and strong. She remained on Spirit Lake until 
superseded by the Queen, when she was sold to Captain Ben- 
nett, who hauled her across the isthmus and run her one sea- 
son for passengers on East Okoboji. About this time Sam 
Crozier bought the Favorite, and the Henderson boys the Alpha. 
These two were the best known of the early boats. 

The building of the railroads into the county in 1882 so stim- 
ulated the summer resort business that more and better boats 
were demanded. In answer to this demand several new boats 
were projected. First, Captain May, of Minneapolis, encour- 
aged by the Chicago, Milwaukee k St. Paul Railroad people 
shipped in the material and machinery for a larger and more 
pretentious steamer than had yet been attempted. She was 
over eighty feet in length with a proportionate breadth of l>eam 
and depth of hold, and had a carrying capacity for about three 
hundred passengers. She was put up h\ Mr. Godfrey, ,a i)rac- 
tical l)()at builder of many years' experience on the Mississippi 
River, and everything about her was intended to be first-class. 
She was reported at the time to have cost between six and seven 
thousand dollars. She was launched in May, 1884, and made 
her first trip from Arnold's Park to the Orleans about July 1, 
1884. She was christened the "Ben Lennox" for one of tJie 
ofllcers of the Milwaukee road who presented her with a mag- 
nificent bunting fiag. 

The same year the Ben Lennox was put up on the h)wer lakes 
the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Xorthcrn Railroad Couipauy 
decided to replace the Alpha with a first-class craft on Spirit 
Lake. Accordingly they contracted with a Dubuque company 
for the construction of an iron steamer to be first-class in every 
dctaih All her ])arts were shaped and fitted at the works and 
then sent to the lakes to be put together. Slie was a romarkal)ly 
staunch, smooth-running craft, and was rated at al)o;;: two huu- 



408 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

(Ired and fifty passengei-s, being a little less than the Ben Len- 
nox. Her cost Avas about, the same. When launched she was 
christened the ''Queen," which name has stuck to her ever since. 

Xot far from the time these two boats were completed, or 
perhaps a little later, Captain Kendall built tlie "Hiawatha" 
on East Okoboji, opposite the town of Spirit Lake. In size 
she bore a kind of mean proportion between the smaller and 
the larger boats, being rated at about eighty passengers. She 
w.as strone'lv built and of "ood material and has stood the test 
of time and liard usage as well as any boat on the lake. 

One or two snjall steam launches were put on about this time 
to ply between town and the Orleans. This was the make up 
of the early fleet of steamers. Soon after this, dohn Pallister, 
of Ottumwa shipped up two small steamers, the "Lelia" and 
the "Kiver Queen," which for a time plied on the lakes between 
different points. Parties at Spirit' Lake organized the Spirit 
Lake and Okoboji Navigation Company. Their scheme w.as to 
l)uild a large barge to be towed by a tug to different points 
around the lakes for the accommodation of dancing and pleasure 
parties .as occasion might require. They built the barge and 
then for a tug they took the rigging off the Foam and j^ut in a 
small steam engine for tilie propelling power. The Foam had 
made a splendid record as a sailing craft but she proved far too 
light and frail for a tug and the scheme proved a failure. 

Soon changes began to occur in tilie ownership and nuinage- 
ment of the several boats. The H]enderson boys sold the Al])ha 
to a ^Ir. Fuller, of Spirit Lake, who took her off the lakes and 
shijiped her to fWorthington. They then bought the Hiawatha 
of Captain Kendall. ]\rr. ^faxon, a conductor on the Burling- 
ton, Cedar Rapids & Xorthern Kailroad, built a flatd)ottomed 
side-wdieeler after the style of tlu' river boats but tliere was 
some defect in her model. She was slow, awkwanl, hard to 
manage and eventually ]>rov<'(l a failure. ( "rozier .sold the Fa- 



410 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

vorite to Mr. H. Brown of Sijencer and bnilt a new boat, tilie 
"Huntress," which he managed successfully several seasons. 
The name of the boat was afterward changed to "Illinois." The 
Hendersons sold the Hiawatha to Mills and Allen and built the 
"Iowa." This boat ranked next to the Queen in size and was 
first-class in all respects. Several smaller crafts, wore from time 
to time added and others taken off which cannot be noticed in 
detail. After several changes the Ben Lennox was bought by 
the Manhattan Beach Company, who overhauled it and changed 
the name to the "Manhattan." 

By this time the dry seasons had told seriously on the lakes, 
the average level being much lower than formerly, and at times 
the larger boats had difficulty in making all the points. East 
Okoboji is the shallowest of the lakes and for a time liad to be 
almost entirely abandoned. The Manhattan was for a few sea 
sons run in the interest of the Manhattan Beach Company's 
watering place, but was afterwards condemned, run ashore at 
Given's Point, the machinery and fixtures taken out and the hull 
knocked to pieces and cut up for kindling wood. The (^ueen 
was kept on Spirit Lake until after the Orleans Hotel was torn 
down, when the railway company having no further use for her 
sold her to the Henderson brothers, who pulled her across into 
Okoboji and gave her a thorough overhauling. She proved to 
be in better condition than was anticij)ated, her hull ln'iiig jirac- 
tically as sound as ever and her machinery but little worn. 
After being painted and renovated she was practically good as 
new. The Hiawatha, after several deals, came into the hands of 
the Breadgate brothers of S])enct'r, who continued to run her for 
passengers. 

The Ben Lennox, tlie Queen and the Hiawatha, with the 
smaller boats, the Favorite and the Alpha, were the pioneers 
of steamboat navigation on the lakes. After the Manhattan was 
coiidciiiiicd slic was sold to 'Mr. F. ( '. Rotl", who took out her ma- 



THE FLEET OF TODAY 411 

c'liinerv aiul fixtnross and siieh of lior upper works as were worth 
saving, and as before stated, split the hull ui) for firewood. It 
had rotted to that extent that it was utterly worthless for any- 
tliiiiii' else. 

^Ir. Roff determined at once to huild an entirely now hoat 
from the same model, using only such ]>arts of the old hoat as 
were just as good as new. His plan was to secure the best ma- 
terial obtainable and to have the work first-class. This was in 
the spring of 1900. As soon as possible after completing the 
deal he set to work on the new enterprise. The ribs and timbers 
for the hull were of oak while the planking was Douglass fir 
from Washington. The hull was made much stronger than the 
old Ben Lennox. Such of the old machinery as was not just 
as good as new was replaced by now. The old boat had l^een 
overhauled and remodeled so many times that there was but 
little of the upper works that could bo utilized, thu's making it 
necessary to build new all around. It was intended to have her 
reaily and in the water by the conimoneoment of the resort sea- 
son, l)Ut an unavoidable delay in forwarding the luiulior from 
the Pacific coast prevented this and it was near August before 
•she was fully completed. She was christened the ''()kol)oji." 
She was the third to receive that name but the other two were 
short lived affairs. Fn appoaranoc slio was the lieu Lonuox 
over again as that craft was originally constructed and is the 
most roomy and one of the host appointed boats on the lake. 

The steamers on the Okoboji at the present time are as fol- 
lows: 1 The Okoboji, F. ( '. lioff", capacity .'500 passengers; 
built in 1!H»0. 2 The (^ueen, Ilenderson Brothers; capacity 
250 passengers; built in 1884; iron hull; good as new. :! The 
Iowa, Iljenderson Brothers; capacity 120 passengers; built in 
1896. 4 The Irma, Elmer Clark; capacity 100 passenger^ ; 
built in isiis. 5 The IJiawatha, BnKidgato Brothers ; capacity 
80 passengers ; built in 1S84. r. The Illinois, cMpacity Cd [las- 



412 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

sengers ; built iu 1887. 7 The Orleans ; capacity 60 passengers ; 
built iu 1896. 8 The R. J. Hopkins, R. J. Hopkins ; capacity 
40 passengers; built in 1896. 9 River Queen, R. J. Hopkins; 
capacity 30 passengers; built in 1890. 

In addition to the above list there are several steam and va])or 
launches owned by private parties who manage and control them 
for their own use and convenience and not for the acconnnoda- 
tion of the public. The only steamer on Spirit Lake is the 
Templar, a small steamer with a carrying capacity for abimt 
forty passengers. She is owned and managed by the Knights 
Templar in connection with their resort at Templar Point. Her 
name has been recently changed from the "Chicago" to the 
"Templar." 



« 



Chapter xxxiv. 

THE TOWX OF SPIKIT LAKE 

SELECTIOX OF THE SITE AIMMVAE OF THE FIRST 

FAMILIES THE FOUR WOMEN WHO WINTERED 

HERE THE FIRST WINTER THE FIRST BUILDINGS 

THE OLD FORT USED AS A HOTEL THE FIRST 

FRAME HOUSES THE FIRST SOCIAL EVENT AN 

OLD FASHIONED FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION 

THE FIRST GENERAL STORE THE FIRST HOTEL 

HOW THE TITLE TO THE TOWN SITE WAS OB- 
TAINED THE ENTERPRISE ABANDONED BY THE 

ORIGINAL PROMOTERS AND THE LAND PROVED UP 

AS A PRIVATE CLAIM LIFE IN THE TOWN DURING 

THE WAR SORRY APPEARANCE OF THE TOWN AT 

ITS CLOSE THE FIRST IMPROVEMENTS AFTER THE 

CLOSE OF THE WAR THE CRANDALL HOUSE THE 

OLD CONCRETE THE NEW YORK STORE AND SEV- 
ERAL OTHER BUILDINGS THE FIRST BANK. 

HE EAETjY history of the to^^^l of Spirit Lake is so 
closely interwoven with that of the county at larii'e tliat 
iiinch of it has already Ixn-n uiven, and yet there is so 
niiich that has not been given that a chapter or two de- 
voted exclusively to the early history and subsequent develo])- 
ment of Spirit Lake as a town seems almost necessary. It has* 
already been related that in the snnmier of 1S5() three brothers- 
in-law by the name of Howe, Parmenter and Wheelock, all liv- 
ing at that time in Xewton, »Tasper County, Iowa, but fornuM-ly 
from Erie County, Xew York, conceived the idea of organizing 
the county, locating the county seat and entering the land upon 
which it was located, lav out a town and make a nice stake in 



414 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the sale of lots. This was before the massacre of 1857 and also 
before the financial collapse of that same year. By the snccess- 
fnl manipulation of snch enterprises men had accnmnlated 
comfortable fortunes in Illinois and Wisconsin and why wasn't 
their chance as good .as anybody's ? Their trip to tlie lak.'s in 
the fall of 185(3, when they encountered Inkpadutah's band 
in camp at Loon Lake, and also their winter trip in Febru- 
ary and March, 1857, when they discovered the massacre :ind 
m,ade the report on the strength of which tlic volnnt'^+M- expiMJi- 
tion under Major Williams was organized, have already been 
given. Also the second trip and the incidents connected with if. 

As has been previously stated the location for the town site 
was decided upon in June, 1857. The point at the Okoboji 
crossing would have been selected had it not been held at 
that time by the Grangers. Indeed, the Grangers camo from 
Red Wing, Minnesota, about the same time and with the same 
avowed project in mind — that of laying out a town and secur- 
ing the location of the county seat, but after the financial citl- 
lapse. Granger gradually .allowed his scheme to die out and 
abandoned the county for good in 1859. The government sur- 
veys were not madej when the site for the town was seleclted. 
The plat was made in Newton by a surveyor by the mime of 
S. W: Foreman, who was to have a one-tenth interest for making 
the survey and plat. The plat was made to cover a half section 
without making any allowances for either excess or deficiencies. 

As has been heretofore stated, the site chosen was about lialf 
a mile nortli of the present business center. In addition to 
the stockade and the building it enclosed there were erected 
on the town site in the fall of 1857 three or foni- 1 g cabins, 
the first one of which was built by O. C. Howe and occupied 
by him that winter .and ai part of the next summer. It was 
afterwards turned over to his father's family wlio arrived 
during the following summer, ^fr. Howe went down to Xew- 



MRiJ. HOWE AND MRS. KINGMAN 415 

ton for liis faiiiilv the Inttcr i);irt ..1" .luuc :iii<l iiiTiv<nl here 
with them tho seventh of Aiii;nst. It wns ii.. part of his orii;- 
iiial phui to hring- his family np that season .and possihly not at 
all, IniT events so shape<l tluMiiseives that lie hecanic convineetl 
that it was ahsolntdv ncci-ssarv that his family should he here. 

The faet has heretofore been notieed that, the fonr women 
wintering hei-e the winter of IS.")! .and ISn.S were ^Frs. O. C. 
Howe, Mrs. E. Kingman, Mrs. Peters and M r<. Thnrston. Mrs. 
Howe and ^Irs. Kingman were rcmarkahlc women. While 
they Were as nnlike each other as it is iiossible for two women 
to be they each re])resented a tyi)e and were leadei-s of the 
type so represented. -Mrs. Howe was the more scholarly of the 
two, having been a teacher in Ibitf.alo. In addition to her lit- 
erary attainments she possessed a rare fund of general informa- 
tion, and what is still more rare a remarkable versatility of 
character, which enabled her to adapt herself to her snrronnd- 
ings withont fnss or friction. She was eqnally at home with 
the stnrdy pioneers by whom she was snrrouiHled as she wcnild 
have been in the environments of polite society. 

Mrs. King-man, on the other hand, was modest and retiring- 
even to the verge of bashfnlness, and yet she possessed intelli- 
gence and refinement of a high order. While n(^t as intellec- 
tual as ^Irs. Howe, yet her refined intuitions .and native good 
sense made her a prime favorite with every one coming within 
the sphere of her influence. Of the other two women ])erha]is 
the less said the better. For a period of over eight months, 
or from the seventh of August until tlu- hitter part of A|)ril of 
the following year, these four women comprised the sum total 
of female society for a large portion of northwestern Towa. 

There were three or fonr families in the neighborhood of 
Peterson that winter, two or thr<'e more near Sioux Kapids, one 
or two at Estherville and three or fom- .;it tjic Trisli (\dony. 
These comprise all of the setth-meiits at that time in the state 



416 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

west of Algoiia and iiortli of Chcrokti-. Wluit of toil and ]>ri- 
vation, fear, hardshi]) and api)reliensi()n were endnred bv those 
few heroic women dnring that niemoral)le winter may be iniai*- 
ined in part l)ut cannot be described and will ever remain an 
important chapter in the nnwritten historv of nin'ihwcstcrn 
Iowa. 

The bringing in and getting into operation of a small saw- 
mill in the fall of 1857 has been noticed. The tii-st Inmbcr cnt 
bv it "was used bv ^Ir. Howe in i)ntting in tloors and a ro:)f to his 
cabin, of which he had .alreadv rolled np the l)od_v. Several were 
clamorous for the first Inmber made, bnt inasmnch as Mr. 
Howe's family were already here and wer;' obliged to go into 
camp nntil his honse conld' be coin})leteil, the rest yielded to 
him and he had fnirly conifort.al)le (puirters for his family 
when winter set in. An arrangement was made with Mr. 
Kingman whereby he moved his family into tlie old forti and 
kept it as a hotel. The space between the rear of the bnilding 
proper and the stockade snrrounding it was abont ten feet. 
This space was roofed and Hoored and divided n]) into rooms. 
Floors were also put into the main bnihling which made (piite 
a roomy affair of it for th,at day. 

Mr, Kingman didn't make much in the hotel bnsiness at 
first from the fact that a majority of those traveling throngh 
here at that time were never guilty of having money. Paying 
customers were the exception and nor the rule, and yet the pio- 
neer instinct was so strong in the host that every one ap])lying 
was bountifully fed, ])ay or no ]»ay. When the soldiers under 
Ca])tain ^iartin came up the first of .March, .Mr. Kiniiiiiau 
turned over the main building to them, reserving tlu' two or 
three rooms that lie had made between the wall of the build- 
ing and the west side of the stockade for his own use. 

Quite a number of sawlogs were hauled in to the mill that 
"winter, and although from <'ight hundred to a thousand feet 



FIRST BUILDINGS 417 

a day was good work for tlicm. still rlu'v kept ])ogg-iiiii away 
at it and got out what tlicy could. It didn't pay Thoiii to run 
in tlio winter except to get out what was ini lucratively deman<l('<l. 

The tirst frame liouse hiiilt was l»y K. U. iWhoolock. This 
was the tirst frame house l)uilt in Iowa north of Sionxi City 
and west of the east fork of the Des ^loines River, f There 
were none at Cherokee and none between here and there. 
There were four or live on tlie west fork of the Des Moines near 
Humboldt bnilt the year before. (). C. Howe, B. F. Permen- 
ter, Henry Schuneman and Doctor James Ball built that sea- 
sou on sites now occupied by C. Chandler, E. L. Brownell, F. 
W. Barron and the Presbyterian ( 'hureh. Parmcntei- after- 
ward sold his place to Ethel Ellis foi- a liundrcd vatskins and 
that was more than some of the rest realized for theirs. A. 
Kingman built a small house the same season. 

A. D. Arthur built a fair sized house just west of town. The 
place was afterward known as the Mai'knian ])lace. Henry 
Barkman first took his claim across the lake on what is now 
known as the Pollard ])Iace. A year or two later he sold it 
to Thomas Wyckoff and hought the Ai'tlnu' place, where he 
resided up to the time of his death. Several other frame houses 
were Iniilt on the town site that summer. George E. Spencer 
built the largest one, which he .afterward sold to L. Congleton, 
who occupied it until 1863, when he left the state. Years later 
the house and the land on which it was located became |the 
property of A. S. Mead, who tore the house down. Tn the 
meantime it had been occupied for vari(»us purposes; first as 
a store, then as .a school room, and for miscellaneous purposes. 
Miller and Jones, the mill owners, built a good sized house 
which they afterwards sold to A. Tvingnnan, who movetl it up 
on his farm (the Stevens place), and lived in it for several 
years. 



418 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

The arrival <if ditferent i)arties of settlers tliat s})riii£>-, and 
early sniuiner, lias I>eeii nnticed. They had come, some from 
central Iowa, some from Illinois and many from western Xew 
York; other ])arrs of the country were also represented. The 
first social event which brong-ht th?m together, and in which 
ihey all participated, was a regular old fashioned orthodox 
Fonrth of Jnly celebration held at S])irit Lake, Jnly 4, 1S58. 
The chief promoters of the scheme were K. U. Wheelock, C, F. 
Hill, R. A. Smith, II. Kingman and a few others. The 
place selected for the exercises was in the grove east of the 
north end of town, and near where the steam mill was pnt np 
the fall before. 

Lnmber was bronght from the mill for ,a platform and seats. 
It didn't require a great deal as the crowd was not expected to 
be large. (). ('. Howe presided and Doctor Prescott delivered 
the oration, his eloqnence, versatility and tact as a sp<'ak'er 
never being more manifest than on that occasion. He was not 
notified until the evening before that he was expected to s}>eak, 
and yet his oration would compare favorably with any that 
have ever been heard here since. 

The choir, coni])osed of J. J). Howe, K. V. Wlu'cdock and 
F. A. Blake and Misses Sarah and Mary Howe and Belle 
Wheelock would command respect and attention anywhere, 
and their rendition of the old patriotic songs was apjdaudod 
to the echo. The Star Spangled Banner, Red, White and Blue, 
Uncle Sam's Farm and other favorites were given to the enthu- 
siastic and (hdighted audience, after which Tv. A. Smith read 
the Declaration of Indepemhnice. At the (dose of the exer- 
cises in the grove, all parties repaired to tlie old fort, which 
had been vacated by the s(ddiers a few days before, and was 
again being fitted up for the accommodation of the j)nbli(' by 
Mr. Kingman. This was nuide to do dnty as a dining room and 
he and his wife soon had ready a re])ast that, considering the sur- 



THE FIRST SOCIAL EVENT 419 

rouiidings and tlic ditHtMiltics in the Wiiy df itrncurinii' neces- 
sary material, wonid Inive hecn a c-redir to any locality. Tt 
goes without saying that the rej)ast that followed was keenly a])- 
preciated and hugely enjoyed hy all participants. 

AVlien the repast was over some time was s|)ent in toasts and 
responses, impromptu reuuirks and sly hits, which were parti- 
cipated in hv the cntwd at large and tended mu(di to increa.s<> 
the enjoyment of the occasion. One noticeai)le feature of all 
the social events of the early days, was the ahsence of all con- 
ventionalities, the hearty good will and gooA fellows-hip which 
characterized the relations of one with another. As evening 
came on seats and tables were removed and old ami young pro- 
ceeded to enjoy the tirst danc<> in Hickinsou ( "ounty. Danicd 
Caldwell and R. V. ^Vh<'(dock furnishing the music, (iood 
church members, whose dancing days had been over for years, 
threw aside tlieir scruples and prejudices for the time being 
and joined in the general hilarity and "all went merry as a 
marriage bell." 

Xot much of importance occurr.Ml during tlie fall and winter 
of 1858 and 1859 that has not already be<'n related as a part 
of the history of the county at large. It will be remembered 
that it was in February, 185!), that the vote was taken on the 
question of disposing of the swamp lands for county buildings. 
The history of that transaction and the events growing out of it 
have already been given in full. The foundation for the court- 
house was laid that fall and the walls for the building ]mt u]> 
the following suninu'r, and a few moi'e houses were built ou 
the town site about this time. Al Kingman also commenced 
the erection of a license whi(di, after he Inul it well under way, 
lie sold to A. D. Arthui- who move(l it u|t town and tinished it 
off as a store, the mechanical work Ixdng done l>v W. 15. Urown 
and Iharvev Frantz. It was not much of a stoi'c. but it was the 



4'i() DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

first west of the east fork of the T)es ^Vfoines niid nnrtli f.f Sioux 
City. 

Tlie first stock of goods [)iit on sale in S])irit Lake, and that 
means the first stock for a vast reg'ion in this part of the state, 
was l\v ^I. ]\r. Mattlieson, a Xorweg:ian, from ^fankato, ]\rinne- 
sot.ti, ill the fall of 1859. He remained in trade there nntil 
some time in 18G8, when he took his stock of goods and moved 
to Yankton, Sonth Dakota. Some time dnring the M'inter of 
]8().'> and 1804 the store was again occupied by G. Blackert, 
Avho put in another and larger stock of goods, and remained i i 
trade until the summer of 1867. About this time th(^ liuilding 
became the property of George C Bellows, who moved it to 
the corner now occu})ied hy the Stevens Block, and rigged ir 
u]) for a shoeshop. 

It was during the summer of 1859 also that ^Fr. B. Kingman 
commenced the erection of the first hotel in the county. Pre- 
vious to that time those interested in the old fort had turned 
their interests, Avhatever they might have been, over to him, 
and he tore the old buihling down to mak(^ room f(U' the pro- 
jected hotel. There wasn't much in the material that could be 
used for anything but firewood. Though not wholly com])leted 
that season it Wias so far along that it was o])ened to the i)ul)Hc 
th.at fall. At that time there was not another hotel Iniilding 
between ]\lankato and Sioux City. Of course every farmer on 
the route kept travelers if they wished to stay, and many 
of these farmer sto])ping places became widely known and de- 
servedly popular. Notably so I'liomas', at Jackson, and Kirch- 
iier's, ,at Peterson. It is marvelous the numbei- of wayfarers 
a w(dl-regulated log cabin would make i-ooni for in those days. 

Mr. Kingman named his hotel the "Lake View House." 
Owing to the scarcity of money in the country, it was not very 
profitable at the start, ])ut after tlie breaking out of the war, 
in the spring of 1801, he liad all tlie business he could liniidle 



THE PIONEEIl HOTEL -1:21 

until the Minnesota massacre in August, 1862. At that time 
it became apparent that the dang:er the early settlers here had 
subjected themselves to was much o:reater than was formerly 
supposed and ^Ir. Kiiiiiiiiaii, with many others, decided he 
could not or would not require his wife to endure the fear and 
apprehension which a further residenci- Inrc would create. 
Consequently he sold out to ^\y. Joseph Thonias of Jackson 
for what he could get. 

]\fr. Thomas kept the })lace about two years, during wliich 
lime ho had all of the business he could handle. During the 
three years that S]>irit Lake w.as a military post, the hotel busi- 
ness was rushing. 3Ir. Thomas sold out in 1804 to ^Nlr. J. II. 
Johnston, wlio ran it until 1807, wlien lie sold to Thomas 
Wyckoff, who movt'd it ttt the present site of the Crandall 
House, and afterwards sold it to Orlando Ci-audall. It was 
afterwards moved back to make room for the present Crandall 
House, and finally torn doAvn iji 18 — ■. 

The fact has already been, referred to that the governnu'ut 
surveys had not been made when the town site was selected. 
Indeed, they were not wholly completed and tlie plats filed in 
the local land office until about January, 1800. Of course, 
nothing could be done towards securing the title to the town 
site until after the plats were filed.* This was nearly three 
years after the site was first select(Ml. The ardor of the first 
projectors of the scheme had cooled o1f nuiterially liy that time, 
and none of them cared to advance the $1.2.") ])er acre necessary 
to secure the title, and so the matter was aHowed to drag ahtng 
year after year. 

The writings that had been given for lots were not worth 
the pa])er they were written on. People bought and sold and 
trafficked in the buildings, l)ut so far as town lots were con- 
cerned, they were .a standing joke, a hiughing stock and a by- 
word. 



422 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Matters pertaining to the title of the town site drifted ah)nfi' 
in this uncertain and slipshod way until some time in 18<)4, 
when Mr. Barkman conceived the project of claiming it under 
the provisions of the preemption law and proving it up as a 
private claim. Other parties had considered the same scheme 
previous to that time, but so far no one had cared to under- 
take it. Mr. Barkman made his claim some time during the 
summer of 1864, and proved it up June 10, 1865. It may be 
well to remember right here tliat none of the land in eithei- 
Center Grove or Spirit Lake townships was ever offered at pub- 
lic sale or* was ever subject to sale by private entry, and the 
only way title could be .acquired at that time w^as to prove up 
either under the preemption law, the homestead law, or the 
town site law. The preemption law ^vas the least trouble, pro- 
vided there were no contestants. The other townshi]is of the 
county had previously been offered at ])ublic sale and were 
for several veuvs sul:)ject to sale at private entry, but these two 
townships were left out. B,arkman's claim comprised the east 
half of the southwest quarter, the northeast quarter of the south- 
west quarter, and the southwesf quarter of tlie northeast quar- 
ter of section 4, township 90, range 36, and contained 175 
85-100 acres, Avhich was one-half of the original town site. Of 
tlie other half, the northwest one-fourth of the northeast one- 
fourth w.as claimed l)y G. Blackcrt as a ])art of his homestead, 
and the balance, consisting of the west one-half of the soutli- 
east one-fourth and the southeast one-fourth of the southwest 
one-fourth was taken by Joseph Currier and proved up Feb- 
ruary 1, 1867. 

As before stated, Mr. Barkman obtained title to this June 
10, 1865, but it was nearly five years after this his first survey 
.;nd plat wei-e made. This survey and plat covered but eighty 
acres. The southeast one-fourth of the northwest one-fourth 
and the northeast one-fourtli of the southwest one-fourth of 



SECURING Tin: TITLK 423 

section 4, and was made by Kninict F. Hill sdiiic time in \s~(). 
This plat had Iven tiknl bnt not recorded, and was hist at tjie 
burning of the courthouse in Fehruarv, 1S7:>. At the next 
torin of cdurt Mr. liarkniaii ])rocnre(l frmn the judgi' an <>r(h'r 
authorizing- him to hie for record a co])y, the orii>iiial h;tviiiii' 
been, destroyed, which was done. 

Previous to proving up his claim. Mr. IJarkman had prom- 
ised those having interests in the town site that in consideration 
of their not putting any ohstacdes in the way of his securing 
title, he would deed to them without further consideration 
the jireniises to which tliey laid claim or to which they were 
entitled. This part of the bargain was honestly kept, and 
those having buildings on the town site received title to 
the lots on which they were located. It was in fnltillment of 
this promise that the county received title to the block on which 
the courthouse is located, and the school district the one on 
which the schoolhouse stands. 

Somehow the idea has gained credence of late that Mv. 
Barkman deeded the courthouse block to the county in consid- 
eration of l)eing releasetl from the old swamp land contract, 
of which he was one of the assignees, and that he be allowed 
to make a new contract whereby all of the swamp land should 
come to him. Now this is a mistake. The old swamj) laml 
contract had nothing to do with the title to the courthouse lot. 
Mr. Barkman had nothing to do with the town site when the 
courthouse was built, and it was not nntil after the town sit? 
was abandone(l by its original projectors that he conceived the 
idea of proving it up as a private (daim. lie had not observed 
the details of the ])reemj)tion Law very carefully and had any 
determined opjxjsition l^een made could not have ])rov(Ml up. 
and he was only too glad to agree to any reasonal)le proposi- 
tion that those living on th<' land to whicli he songht to perfect 
title saw fit to make. He had ne\'er liv<-d on the land at all. 



424 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

There were others who had lived on it for years, and had any 
of them offered any serious opposition he could not have per- 
fected his title, and for that reason he promised to protect the 
rights of all parties, and to carry ont the ag'reements previ- 
ously made by the original projectors relative to streets and 
public grounds, which promise was kept to the satisfaction of 
all concerned. 

As before stated, Mr. Barkman proved up his claim on the 
tenth day of June, A. D. 18G5, and the patent to the land issued 
April 2, 1866, but it Avas udt until the summer of 1870 that 
the first survey and plat of the town site were made. My. 
Barkman, in deeding to those having prior interests in the town 
site, did not in all cases make his descriptions by lots and blocks, 
l)Ut deeded in patches of different dimensions describing them 
by metes and bounds. This accounts for so many additions, 
some of them being on ground covered by the original plat. 
The measurements of these tracts were often carelessly made, 
which has been a source of much perplexity in adjusting lines 
and corners .and determining the rights <>f parties. As regards 
the southwest one-fourth of the northeast one-fourth of the sec- 
tion, Mr. Barkman never laid that out in lots and blocks at 
all, but sold it off in patches of from one to ten acres. These 
tracts Avere afterwards laid out and ])latted l)y their respectiv3 
owners as .additions to the town. It was in this way that Rices, 
C'randalls, Whitlocks, Shroycrs and tlic several other additions 
on that forty were made. 

The military o])erations and defensiv<' measnres for the pro- 
tection of the frontier li.ave l)een (piite extensivcdy noticed. 
After the withdrawal of the troops, in the summer of 1865, 
Spirit Lake as a t(jwn ])resented .a sorry appearance. .\11 of 
the original jiromoters of the enterprise had gradually aban- 
doned it, l^[r. Parment<'r being the last to go, and he left abttnt 
1865. .\o biiihlinu- luul been j)nt )ip since 1860, and some 



COMMENCING ANEW 425 

rliat had liccii croctod ])rcvi"(iiislv to that time wore now inovfil 
to adjacent cdainis. 'I'lic war was (»v(m-. '\\\v life and oxcitc- 
miMit inciiU'nt to niilitarv o('eu])ati()n li'radnallv dicil ont. A 
niaj<irit\' of the soldiers enlistinii' from here came hack to their 
l)laoes, hut many reniaine(l away jJcrniaiuMitly. It was like 
eonimenein<i' anew. About the first move made so far as the 
town site w.as concerned was the moving' of the ohl Lake View 
Hvuse from the north <?nd of the town to the present sitio of 
the ("raiuhill House, hy Mr. Wyekott' in IST)*;. The did U(.l re- 
tain the (twnerslii|) of it lono-, l)nt soon s(dd it to Orlando Cran- 
(hill, who thorouo-hly overhauled it and soon made it one of the 
best known ami pojudar stopping' places in this portion of the 
state. 

It was about this time that George ('. T'tdlows boughr tho 
old store whicdi he moved to the i)resent site of the Stevens 
Block and fitteil u]) f(>r a shoeshop. In December, 18t}8, K. 
A. Smith made an arrangement with Mr. Bellows whereby he 
pitt in a srock of goods in the front of th<' building, Avhile Bel- 
lows conducted his shoe store and r^'pair shoj) in the rear. \l. 
A. Smith was in business here until the fall of 1870, when he 
built a store at ATilford and moved his stock down there. ^\r. 
Bellows then occupied the entire building', where he continued, 
in business for three or four years, but his health failing, h.' 
disposed of his goods, ;iiid the store was next o('cupie(l by II. 
('. Xims as a drugstore. This was the first drugstore in the 
county conducted by a comjt'.'tcnt druggist. There had been 
irregular dealers j)revious to this time, both in Sjdrit Lake and 
Alilfoi'd. but flicv knew little or nothing id' llir busine-s and 
•oi.u threw it up. 

Ml'. Xims was succeeded by (i(»i)rg<' Hawkins of the firm <d' 
Haskins cV I>allard, of Kstherville. .\bout tlii< time the 'luild- 
ing became the pi'opei'ty id" Marcus Snyder, and after Mr. I la- 
kins mo\ed away, whiidi was in 1ST<), he movt d it up b\- tlir 



426 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

side of the old postoffice building to make room for the B-.^acou 
Block. Here Mr. Snyder opened np the first banking house 
in the county. He associated with him William M. Smith, 
since prominent in banking circles, and commenced doing a 
regular banking business February 1, 1877. It will thus be 
seen that this little insignificant sixteen by twenty-four, one- 
story building has had transacted under its roof more business 
and more different kinds of business than usually falls to the 
lot of many more pretentious edifices, and in all the different 
lines it was the pioneer. It was the first general store; the 
first boot, shoe and leather store; the first drugstore, and the 
first bank in the county, and in each of these several lines the 
volume of business transacted was exceptionally large. 

In the summer of 1869, Roscoe Brown built quite a roomy 
house and fitted up the front room as a restaurant, which he 
conducted for several months. It not proving profitable, he 
sold the building to A. W. Osborn, who moved it down town 
and fitted it up as ,a residence. Another of the early day build- 
ings was erected by Dan Bellows for saloon purposes, and was 
occupied several years that way, first by Bellows and later by 
E. P. Ring. It was afterwards bought by George Edwards, 
who moved it back to make room for the ^Minnie Waukon 
Hotel, which he built on the site, using the old saloon building 
for a dining room. The Minnie Waukon Hotel was built by 
Mr. Edwards in 1874. Later it came into possession of E. P. 
Riing, who completed it and opened it up to the public, his 
first advertisement appearing in the issue of the Beacon of 
March 30, 1876. The building's erected at This time were most- 
ly of n,ative lumber, although a great many loads of sliingles, 
finishing lumber and siding were brought through from ^fan- 
kato, which was then the railroad terminus. The road was con- 
tinued to St. J.ames in 1870, and Le Mars in 1871. 



EARLY BUSINESS SCHEMES 427 

Ir \v;is in 18051 that the iiiovomont for takiiiir lu)niest<'a(ls 
on the i)raii-ic awav from tiniltcr first scr in. This has already 
hcen notic{'«h Sinnilran<'onsly with th-;ir ninvc came incrcascMl 
aotivit\' in tlu' work of imihiini: n]i th<' town. One of the first 
and most important moves in tliat dii-ectioij was the buihlinii,' 
of the old concrete store hy Dan Stone on the northeast corner 
of Hill and Lake Streets. The work on the hnilding commenced 
in 1870, and it was ready for occnpancy the same fall. Tt 
Avas here that A. Al. Jolinson in 1870 coninK'nccMl his career 
as a merchant. Another of the more important hnildini>"s of 
1870 was the one er<'ct(Ml hy E. Palmer and 11. Harkman, after- 
wards known as the postofRce bnildino;. This was the most 
pretentions affair that. had l>een attemjitcd up to tliat time. It 
was about twenty-four by fifty feet in siz<', and two stories 
high. ]\rr. Palmer put in a stock of hardware, in addition to 
which he handled agricultural im])lements. The Beacon print- 
ing ]>r(>ss w.sis at one time s<n up in the np])er story. This 
building afterwards fell into the hands of Henry Baxter and 
is a part of the Baxter Hbuse. 

The burning of the courthouse in February. 1872, has boon 
noticed in the history of the county at large, also the rebuild- 
ing of it the following summer. It was about tliis time, or 
shortly after, that the school district erected a building south 
•of the Crand.all House and finished off the lower story in two 
schoolrooms, while the upper story was rented to the ^lasons 
and used by them for a lodge room. Several years lat<'r this 
building was moved to the schoolhousc lot and was fitted up and 
used for school purposes until 188.'*, when it was torn down 1.» 
make room for the present structure. 

The pioneer blacksmith slioj) of Spirit Lake was cstablishci! 
by Jemerson cV ('hisholni, their first cai'd appearing in the paper 
Decend)er 0, 1870. Others ha<l been here ]ir(\ious to that time 
and made a show of stai'tinii' in bu-^incs-;. but they soon j)laye(,l 



428 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

•out. Jemerson retired after the first year, his health failini>-, 
since which time Chisliolm has continued the business in his 
own name. 

The grasshoj^per invasion (1873 to 1877) has been (]uite 
extensively noticed. For the five years preceding this time 
the growth of the town was steady bnt not rapid. The depress- 
ing effects of that terrible scourge were fully as disastrous to 
the town as to the. country, and the only wonder is that any 
one attempting to do business was able to pull through. In 
1874 Mr. Johnson abandoned the old concrete and moved into 
the new s^ore he had just greeted on his lot opposite the court- 
house. Here he fitted np what was at that time the bc^t equip- 
ped general store in this portion of the state. The necessity 
for jnore roomy quarters soon became apparent, and lie met tlie 
emergency by erecting an addition tlie same size as the oriii- 
inal on the north side of the building. 

The next building of importance was erected by l'hili[) 
Doughty, during the summer of 1873. This was the largest 
and most imposing structure that had yet been attempted. It 
was sixty feet long, twenty-five feet Avide and two stories high, 
with a basement full size of the building. The main buildinq: 
was finished oft" as a general store and occupied as such, tir^r 
by Philip Doughty, then by J. A. Doughty and later by Palnuu- 
& Doughty. It was at this time known as the New York Store. 
Later still it came into possession of W. S. Beers. Aft|er his 
death it was occupied for several years by J. P. Calvin as the 
"Variety Store," and was at last moved away to make room for 
the Stevens Block. The basement was furnished and used for 
a time by E. P. Ring as .a billiard room. It was afterwards 
fitted up and occupied as a residence, first by J. A. Doughty, 
and later by AV. S. Beers. The upper story was for a tiuK' 
used as a public hall. It was afterwards rented to the ^Masons 
and used by them as a lodge room. 



(ilAPTKK XXXV. 



SIMKIT T.AKK TOWN COXTIN I' KD TIIK KAIM.V M KK- 

CHANTS Till': KAKI.V lilSI N KSS IIOISKS CKXKR- 

AT.T.Y THE BKACOX BLOCK TIIK NKW (ItAX- 

DAI.T. UOUSE TITK rO.MIXO OF TIIK KAll.UOADS 

TICE ROLI-ER SKATE CRAZE— ^I NCOi; I'l >i; A TlOX OI' 

TIIK TOWX THE KIKST OFEICEUS THE X KW 

COURTHOUSE THE FIRST lUUCK lUII.DIXtJS THE 

STEVENS BLOCK THE EI.ECTRIC EKilllS A. M. 

JOHXSOX'S STOKE THE KOLEEIi MILE THE 

COLD STORAGE PEA XT. 




X ALAY, 1877, O. S. Jones and J. A. Kllis furnu'd a part- 
nership for the general trade\ Previons to tliis tinic 
each of them liad hcen carrvinii' on tho oroccrv Imsiness 
"on his own hook," hnt now they consolidated and rnn 
;! iieiH^ral store. They started in the old Baxter concrete, hnf 
tinding- that too mnch to one side, they soon moved nj) on Hill 
Street, .and when the Beacon Block was completed in 1870, were 
tlie first to occnj)y the stori' rooms. Tlicy sold (int in the spring 
of 1880 to F. W. Barron. 

The fact that Snyder, Smith iV (^tnlpany started the first 
]iiiid<; in the (Mjnnty has aln^ady liccu noticed. During th<' 
same snmnier B. 1>. Van St-eiMihiirg erected the small hrick 
Imildiiig (111 the noi-tli -ide id' II ill Street, wliicli he afterwards 
ns<'d as ;i home for his hank. His card tirst aj)]ie;irs in the 
pajK-r Angnst 23, 1877. Th.-sc two institntions luul theii- 
>^rigin in grasshopjx'r times and grew u|) side Ity side, until 
finally, after niany cliaiiges ami vicissitudes, llie Snyder, Sniitli 
<!^' Company Hank hecanie merged in the Dickinsun (\tnnty 



430 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




From a photQgraph in possession of J. F. Dare, taken about 1876. 

SPIRIT LAKE. 



Bank and the Van Steeiilmrg- Bank the First Xational Bank 
of Spirit Lake. 

Dr. E. L. Brownell ])nrcliast'(l tlic Willai'd ])roperty in 1887 
and commenced practice that season, dividiiiii' his time hctwccn 
Spirit Lake and Jackson. I^ater lie improved a hnihlinij.' which 
had originally ])een erected as a gran.ary by pntting on an ad- 
dition and finished the whole off as a drng'store, where he com- 
menced business in the sunnmv of 1878, his advertisement 
first appearing in the issne of August tiftei'iith of that year, 
and it is only natural to su])pos(' that ir has a])peared in every 
issue since, and may be citiisidcred the })ioneL'r druggist of the 
county, as those preceding him had but imjierfect stocks and 
remained in business but a short time. The old AVillard store 
he used as a dwclliuii' housf until be built bis residenci^ in the 



NEW IMPROVEMENTS 431 

oast part of town when the old store was torn down to make 
room for better improvements. 

In the spring of 1877 T. J. Francis and- S. P. Middleton 
erected a blacksmith and machine shop, making a specialty of 
wagon work and repairing farm machinery. 

A. L. Sawyer and P. S. Mott were the first to start in the 
livery bnsiness, beginning in 1874. They were succeeded by 
Johnston & Grilbert the following year, who in addition to 
the livery business, had the Spirit Lake and Sibley and the 
Spirit Lake and AVorthington stage lines. 

C. H. Ayers was the pioneer insurance worker, he commenc- 
ing as early as 1872 or 187-3. Previous t^") that time but little 
had been done in insurance and that little by outside parties. 
]\[r. Ayers was at the same time doing (juite a stroke of busi- 
ness in farm machinery. A. L. Sawyer was at the same time 
"working insurance and farm machinery, part of the time in 
connection with. Mr. Ayers and jiart of the time on his owri 
account. By the way high freights and bad debts beat most 
of the early dealers in farm machinery. 

After Mr. Bellows retired, Sam Campbell carried on the 
boot and shoe business. J. F. Dare was the pioneer furnitur3 
man and the first in the undertaking business. Fred Pliippin 
was the first in the harness business, he having started a shop 
in 1878, and has stuck to it ever since when his health would 
permit, ^^arious other business schemes were inaugurated 
.about this time, but most of them were short-lived. 

During the early days the legal jirofession was rein-esented 
first by Orson Rice, who commenced ])ractice as early as 1864, 
B. L. Wilcox in 1809, A. W. Osborne in 1870, J. W. Cory in 
1874 and W. H. Bailey a few years later. There wer.- others, 
but they came later or remained but a shoi-t time and can hardly 
be said to have worked up a practice. 



432 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

The papers of this i)eriod mention several other business 
schemes and enterprises of minor imjiortance. which have not 
been noticed in detail, which, thoniih not very important in and 
of themselves, help to make up the smn total of the limired 
business that was i)ossible under adverse cirumstanees. 

Of course as the business incre.vised, better l)uildin^s w-rv- 
required. The Beacon Block was erected in ISTO bv H. [.. 
Owens, and was calculated to be a little ahead of anytliinu' 
that had preceded it. There were three business rooms on the 
ground floor, one of Avhieh was occiipied by the Beacon oiiice 
and the other two were tinished oif as store rnoms, and were 
first occupied by Jones »Sc Ellis as a aeneral dry goods store. 
The upper story was tinished ofl' as a music hall and o]tera 
house, and at that time answered very well tlie ])Uipose for 
which it was intended. The building was known .as the Beacon 
Block by reason of an arrangement made by ^fr. Owen and 
the Beacon pro])rietors whereby the Beacon was to have per- 
manent (|uarrers in the bnihling, and it was the desire of Mr. 
Owen that it shouhl be called the Beacon Block. This lirrance- 
ment remained in force until after Mr. Owen disposed of the 
property and the Beacon had secured (]uarters of its own. The 
building was shortlived and was torn down in 18J)C to maki 
room for the Stevens Block. 

The old Cran(hdl llouso, th? luitel of the ])ioneer days, was 
in ISSO moved back to maki' room for the present sivucture, 
Mr. ('r.andail having become interested in making iniprovc- 
nu'nts at the noi'th siih' of th;' lake, the hot ■! |)i'o])erty in town 
fell into the hands of V. L. Twiforcb who oiovimI back the old 
bnihling and <Tected th;- new one on the sam? site. Fv v.-as 
opcne*! to till' pultlic in the ^])l•il:g of ISSl. The old budding 
being aftcrwai-d toi'ii dnwii. Since the ab )vc was written the 
'. 'iMiidall House has be 'U torn down and il;;' site (dearcd u]i 
pre paratory to buildi'. iz.- a nn dern, tii'st-(dass lidtel, to cttst al>out 



OTHER ENTERPRISES 433 

.$40,0UU. 'riiis enterprise is being nianiii;(_'"l l.v Mr. ,1. lim- 
niister. 

In 1882 B. B. Van Steenbiiro- and Greorge B.axter erected 
the double bnilding on the north side of west Lake Street and 
Van Steenburff moved his bank into the east room of the build- 
ing, while the other was finished oif as a drugstore. There 
were also other business buildings, together with numerous resi- 
dences, but they cannot be noticed in detail. 

The census of 1880 was the first in which the population 
was returned separate from the township at large. That cen- 
sus showed the population of the town to be 277. The Bur- 
lington, Ced.ar llapids »Sc Xorthcrn Jiailroiid was built into 
Spirit Lake in July, 1882, and the Chicago, Milwaukee k St. 
Paul the following spring. Of course, from this time on things 
were changed. Each of the roads built commodious depots and 
stockyards, and warehouses and elevators were added when 
needed. 

Two lumber yards had been started in anticipation of the 
completion of the roads, one by F. W. Barron and the other by 
J). L. Itilcy, both of which did a rushing business. Many new 
buildings were erected, both residences and l)tisiness blocks. 
Indeed, there seems to have l^een a craze for business buildings, 
and more were erected, as it later proved, than were needed for 
the legitimate business of the toAvu. The better ones and those 
in the more desirable locations were used in the busines^s for 
which they were intended, but some of the cheaper ones have 
never been used at all except temporarily for store rooms, «>r 
something of that nature. 

Many new firms api>eared in the advertising columns of the 
paper in 1882 and 1883, J, A. Ellis alxmt that time built what 
has since been known .as the Dimond Store, and started again 
in business, but before he was fairly settled, he sold out iiis 
store and stock to John I)iiiiiiud auil soon afterward umwd to 



434 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Milford. Henry Baxter bought the old postoffice building and. 
one or two others and moved them together, and out of the 
combination he constructed the Baxter House, Avhich under 
his management achieved a good reputation and was liberally 
patronized. 

About June 1, 1882, the Lake Park House, by R. P. and 
D. E. Lombard, was thro\\ni open to the public. This was in 
times of high water, and the lake shore and boat landing there 
was supposed to be all that could l)e desired. 

About this time the roller skate craze struck the town, and 
everybody skated. Two capacious skating rinks were built, 
the first one down by the lake near the bridge and the other just 
north of the Minnie Waukon Hotel. The craze lasted a year 
or two when it died out entirely. The rink down by the laike 
was afterwards cojiverted into .a boat house, while the other 
one was torn down and the material used in the construction 
of a Avarehouse near the Burlington track. 

The Beacon of December 20, 1882, in giving a summary of 
the improvements in town for the year, enumeraifrcs a list of 
one hundred .and seventeen buildings erected or remodeled at 
a cost of nearly $110,000. In the course of the article it has 
the following: 'iWe find that more than $28,000 have been 
invested in business houses, alxvut $12,000 in hotel structures 
and upwards of $50,000 have been put into residences within 
the corporation." 

By the census of. 1885 the population was shown to be 751. 
]\rost of the increase came in 1882 and 1883. Indeed, most of 
the increase from 1880 to 1890 was in those two years. Tine 
census of 1890 showed a population of 782. This was dis- 
appointing, as it was but a small increase on that of five years 
before. Residences had gradually multiplied and it was su])- 
ix)sed that the population had increased accordingly. That it 
did not is exjihiincd l>y the fact that tho boom following the 



TOWN INCORPORATED 435 

buildinc: of the railroads lir»)Ui>ht in :\ laviic iiiunl»or of iiic'- 
chauics and transients generally, who were here just in time 
to be emimerated and left soon after. The town was incor- 
porated in October, 1871>, and the following otiieers elected: 
Mayor, A. B. Fnnk; Rt'corder, W. F. Pillsbnry; Trustees, 
A. M. Johnson, J. A. Doughty, W. H. Bailey, T. L. Twiford, 
J. T. Whitlock, Henry Baxter. The mayors since that time 
have been : J. A. Doughty, J. W. Cory, B. B. Van Steenburg, 
Silas j^orthey, A. W. Osborne, E. M. Betzer, E. D. Carlton, 
J. B. Stair, A. F. Bergman, Y. A. Arnold, William Hay ward. 
The present officers are: Mayor, A. W. Osborne; Recorder, 
George F. Buck; Assessor, H. Van Steenburg; Trustees, S. L. 
Pillsbury, Leroy Davis, C. II. Stone, J. C. Davis, Marcus Sny- 
der, A. Hurd. 

In September, 1889, the question of issuing bonds to the 
amount of $15,000 for building .a new courthouse was submit- 
ted to a vote of the electors of the county, and carried by a fair 
majority, but therer being some informality in the notice for 
the election, it was decided void by the court, but upon a sec- 
ond submission the previous vote was ratified by an increased 
majority, and the courthouse was built the following season. 
At that time it was considered the finest one in this judicial 
district. Larger and more expensive ones have since In-en built 
in neighboring counties, but none better in proportion to the 
cost. Many fine residences were erected and the appearance 
of the town was improved more than its growth in j)opulation 
would imply. In 1883 the old frame rattU'rvaj) which lijul 
gone by the name of a schoolhouse was torn down and in its 
place the present commodious structure was erected. 

While the courthouse, schoolhouse and Methodist Church 
were of brick, theje were as yet no business blocks of that ma- 
terial. The first one to be erected was by E. ^f. Betzer, <in 
the northeast corner of Hill and Lake Streets. Since that 



436 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




THE SPIRIT LAKE COURTHOUSE. 



time tills block li;i< 1);h*ii ()c'('U])i('(l by Til A. .Mill;-!', -Jr., as a 
gonoral store. Alioiit the same time E. L. l]r(t\viiell, in cmi- 
lieetioii with the Diekinsdii ihiiik, made substantial im])nt,ve- 
meiits on the smitliwest corner of the same streets. Indeed, 
3Ir. Betzer and l\Ir. Brownell were the ))ioneers in starting; 
the boom for better bnildin2;s and after it was once started 
others w-ere (piick to fall in. In ISl).') 15. F. Stevens, of St. 
Lonis, who had ])rc\ionsly ei'ected a lari;v cotl.aii'e in the north 
part of town, deci<led to build a brick block on a more exten- 
sive and exjiensive scab- than any of his prcMlccessors. In ]inr- 
>uanc<' of this plan lu' decided on the northwest corner of Hill 



THE STKVENS BLOCK 



437 



;lll(l l.akf Streets ;is Iteiuii best suiteil tor his use. 'I'lie I5eiu'<tli 
^.f FebiMiarv third has the tulh)\viiiii : 

"Stephen Stevens, for liis hr(»ther 15. F. Stevens, cif St. 
Louis, yesterday secured options for the ])urchase of the prop- 
erties at the corner of Lake and Hill Streets, o\vne(l l»y ^frs. 
Abhie Rice, Marcus Snyder, William Hayward, F. F. Phip- 
pin and AFr. Ashhy. This is a step j)reliniinarv to the erecti m 
r.)f a solid brick block that shall cover the entire plat." 

Two weeks later tli(> Beacon says: 

"With his lot purchase ^ir. Stevens gets the Beacon Jiloi-k, 
the Variety Store and the Snyder buildinu'. The first named 
will l>e torn down and the others moved to other sites." 

The issue of ^March twentieth notes tin* . execution of the 
])lans, and says: 

''They j)rovide for live storerooms with l)asements of equal 
floor dimensions. On the corner is located the First National 




STKVKNS BLOCK. 
H. A. Miller's Store at the riKlit : Van Steenburit's at the left. 



438 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Bank, Tuukr which is planned an elegant barber shop with 
bath rooms ; on the second floor, beginning at the alley on the 
west, are located rooms for the ^Masonic Lodge and next are 
quarters of eqnal dimensions for the Knights of Pythias. An 
opera honse with a capacity for about four hundred seats 
comes next, and against the Hill Street side are located two 
elegant suites for office purposes." * * * 

The issue of April fourteenth notes the tearing down of the 
Beacon Block and the Snyder building to make room for the 
new improvements. Work was commenced .at once and the 
block was ready for occupancy about the first of February, 
]894. 

The first occupants were the First Xational Bank; Berg- 
man & Farnham, drugs and groceries; E. C. Renken, drugs 
.and stationery; John Dimond, general store, and Copley «& 
Blackert, hardware. The opera house was opened on the even- 
ing of February twenty-fifth, by the iWoodward Theatre Com- 
pany, in the play of ''The Galley Slave." The lodge rooms 
were occupied, as planned, by the Masons and the Knights of 
Pythias, and are still so occupied. 

Closely connected with the building of the Stevens Block 
is the electric light enterprise. It was Mr. Stevens' design to 
heat his building by steam and light it by electricity. He 
accordingly submitted a proposition to the town council stat- 
ing the conditions on which hel would put in a plant of suffi- 
cient capacity for lighting the town and furnishing steam heat 
for several public buildings. His proposition Avas that he 
should be granted a twenty year franchise and assured that 
for three years he should receive $600 a y&ar for street light- 
ing at rates paid by Iowa towns of like character. Under the 
law such a proposition would have to be submitted to a vote 
before the council could act on it. The proposition was accord- 
ingly submitted, and out of a poll of two hundred and six 
votes there was but one cast against it. The i)laiit was erected 



OTHER IMrKOVKMENTS 



439 




A. M. JOHNSON'S STORE. 



and so far completod tliat the liiilit was turned on for the tirst 
time Fel)riiarv ."i, 181)4. Six years later Mr. Stevens made an 
unconditional _«iift of tlio power lions,' and the heating and 
lighting plant to the town, withont any reservations or condi- 
tions whatever. In 11)00 the Board of Sni^ervisors arranged to 
have the conrtlionse heated hy steam from the electric })ower 
house boiler. This plant is said to rej)reseiit a value (d' about 
fifteen thousand dollars. 

In the spring of 1S1>4 Mr. .\. .M. J..hnson decided to erect 
new (piarters. The old store had lieen in use now twontv 
years, and although, when l.uili, it was counted e<pnil or su- 
perior to the best in this jx.rtion of tli.- state, it now hegan tn 
look a litth' shalihy when compared with the recent struclure.s. 



440 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

111 ]\lay the old store vv.as niovjed from its foiindatioMs to the 
corner of the courthouse h^t on thj opposite side of the street 
and work at once commenced. The new hnihling is forty-five 
by oiH- hundred feet and two stories, the h)wer story heinsi' 
fourteen feet in height and the upper one twelve ; hasenient 
full size of the building-. The store room proper occu])ies the 
entire ground floor and is divided into three departments. The 
walls were up and the luiilding under cover about the twentieth 
of kSe})teinl>er, and ready for occupancy ,al)out the first of De- 
cember. 

In 1898 Messrs. Lovesee and Hurd erected a first-class steam 
flouring mill. Their machinery was all new and of the most 
modern and improved variety. They spared no pains or ex- 
pense to get the best that money would buy. They asked no 
bonus or subsidy, but simply stipulatt?d with some of the more 
prominent business men that they should have their exclusive 
patronage so long as they produced as good an article as could 
be obtained elsewhere, and the result has proven entirely satis- 
factory all .around. 

.Vnother of the later day improvements out of the ordinary 
ill towns the size of Spirit Lake, is the cold storage plant. This 
is another enterprise of B. F. Stevens, and is far reaching in 
its sco})e and design. Indeed, there is nothing like it in this 
part of the state. In addition to the facilities usually fur- 
nished by cold storage plants for handling perishable goods, 
he had put in a butter renovator, whereby rancid butter is ])ut 
through a ])rocess of renovation that so improves it that it re- 
quires an expert to detect tlic difi'd-i'iicc between this ,and the 
genuine creamery article. The entire ju-oduct of this plant is 
shipped East and the demand is much greater than the su])ply. 




CHAPTER XXXVI. 

THE SPIRIT LAKE POSTOFFICE POSTMASTERS 

THE SPIRIT LAKE BEACO:^"^ THE PIONEER NEWS- 
PAPER THE EARLY ADVERTISERS EARLY HIS- 
TORY OF THE PAPER BY J. A. SMITH ITS SUB- 
SEQUENT HISTORY OTHER VENTURES IN THE 

NEWSPAPER LINE THE DICKINSON COUNTY 

JOURNAL THE SPIRIT LAKE DEMOCRAT '"HUCK- 

LEBERRy's paper" THE SPIRIT LAKE PILOT 

THE DICKINSON COUNTY HERALD CIVIC SOCIE- 
TIES A. F. & A. M. O. E. S. ROYAL ARCH 

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR 1. O. OF O. F. PATRONS OF 

HUSBANDRY GOOD TEMPLARS K. OF P. A. O. 

U. W. G. A. R. M. W. OF A. AMERICAN YEO- 
MEN. 

IT. WHEELOCK was postmaster from the time the office 
was established in February, 1858, until np to the time 
he left the county in 1863. AVhen he left he did not 
expect to remain .away permanently, consequently did 
not resign, but turned the office over to Mr. Pannenter, who 
conducted the office in Wheelock's name. He kept the office at 
his residence, which was at or near the present site of the Pres- 
byterian Church. After about two years he moved to Boone 
and turned the office over to G. Blackert, who was the next 
regularly commissioned postmaster, ^fr. Blackert being in 
trade .at the time, kept the office at the store until he quit busi- 
ness and went to farming, when hv moved the office to his resi- 
dence which was on the block now occupied by E. 1). Carlton. 
He remained postmaster until the fall of ISO!), when he re- 
signed and was succeeded by Eber Palmer. A year or two 



THE SPIKIT LAKE TOSTOFFICE 443 

previous to this time a secoiul stor<' li:i<l l)eeu erected l)v Oliver 
( '(»ni])t()n. ;ui(l the postottiec was now iinived to the new store, 
where it r<'iiiaiiieil .about a vcnr and a lialf, when Mr. ("oinp- 
ton sold out to A. Wilhird, and (Muharkcd in the lUTcarious 
enterprise of buihling' a tirst-(dass tlouriui: mill to lie i-un liv the" 
water draAvn froln Spirit Lake tlii-ouiili a rat-c dtiii for that pur- 
pose. Tlie ohl race is there vi't, all i'\>i' liaxiiui' disapp(viri'(| 
h)ng ago. 

The disastrous colla])se of that enterprise has alre-adv h-en 
noticed. Compton hist all he had and Uarkiiian lost hcavil.. 
.although it did not break him u]), hut rhev both found rut t! 
takes lots of water and some cash to run a gristmill. Im the 
meantime Mr. Palmer had moved the postoffice into the build- 
ing which he and Mr. Barkman had be-en constructing, which 
afterwards came to be known as tlie postothce building. The 
postoffice was kept here until the building w.as S(dd to Ilenrv 
Baxter and he commenced overhauling it for a hotel, when it 
was moved to the Xew York Store, ^fr. Palmer held the office 
until 1SS'>, when he was succ<'eded by llion. A. V>. Funk, who 
lield it until after Cleveland's first election. Since that rime 
rlie postmasters have been A. F. Heath, E. L. Prownell, A. F. 
]>ergman, Joseph A. Smith and A. F. Bergman for .a second 
term. It was made a presidential office in 1883. 

1'Ih' Spirit Lake Beacon was the tirst newspajier in the 
county, and witii the exception of the Xorthern Vindicator, 
j)ublished at P^stherville, was the first in the stat(> west of Al- 
gomi and north of Sioux ( 'ity. The oldest co]n' llhat can be 
found is Xo. 14, \'ol. 1. and bears date Deceinber ('», 1>7(). 
Tliis would indicate that the tirst number was issued Se])teni- 
ber 6, 1870. Jjut few numbers of the first volume were prc;- 
scrved. This can be accounted for by tlie fact that the ]>aper 
was edited in Spirit Lake .and j)rinted in Fstherviile, and eacli 
party supposed the other was taking care of the files. Th." 



444 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

rogiilav file fniiiiiicnccs with tlie first imiiil)or of the st'cond 
volume, and is (hited Xoveinher 10, 1871. There was a hi-cak 
of several miiiibcrs between the first and second volnnies inci- 
dent to the bnving' of a printing outfit and other contingencies. 
The scattered nnnibers of the first volume show the Spirit Lake 
advertisers for 1871 to have been as folhtws: A. M. Johnson, 
general store ; A. iWillard, dry gcKxls ; J. T. Whitlock, dry 
goods ; Jemerson & Chisholm, blacksmiths ; Orson Rice, attor- 
ney : II. L. Wilcox, attorney, land and insurance ; A. A. ]\[osher, 
attorney and Land agent ; AV. S. Beers, ])liysician ; Creorge C. 
Bellows, l)Oots and shoes; K. Balnier. hardware; E. F. Kill, 
surveyor; W. B. Brown, notary public, surveyor and clerk of 
district court ; O. Compton, Spirit Lake flouring mills, Bailey 
stage and express; (). (^-andall, Crandall House. \. W. Os- 
borne w.as associated with Air. Rice in the law l)usiness l>efore 
the close of the year. Of the aliove list two, A. jNf. »Johnson and 
1). R. Chisholm, still advertise in the Beacon, and it is only 
natural to suppose that their advertisements varietl, of coui-sc, 
to suit the varying conditions, have a])peared in evei-y num- 
ber of the paper from first to last. 

The first published seheduh^ of the arrival and (h'parture of 
mails at the Spirit Lake postotfice a])])ears in the issue f(»r 
March 28, 1871, and is as follows: 

"The Blue Earth City mail arrives <>v(m-v Wednesday at six 
o'clock p. m., and departs every Thursday at seven a. m. Cher- 
okee arrives every Friday at eleven a. m. and departs <verv 
Monday at twelve m. Jackson .arrives Monchiy at eleven a. m. 
and departs Friday at twelve m." 

In the issue of June sixth a cliangi' is noticed whereby the 
Cherttkee and Jackson mail is carrieil each way three times a 
Aveek. Another change was ordered to take eiiect b'ebruary 1, 
1878, whereby, the mail was carried ea(di Avay daily o\-er this 
route. Inasnnich as the Beacon is the pioneer pajK'r of the 



SPIRIT LAKE BEACON 445 

cuiiutv it is ciititk'tl tn a more cxtcinhMl imticc. Tlif tolli.wiiijj," 
account wa;^ written by J. A. Smith, one of its <-arly editors, 
and was ])uMisluMl in tlu' issne ot* 1 )('c('nilKT '.», 187."): 

"Five years .ago the people of Spirit Lake and Dickinson 
County made up their minds that a newspaper was necessary 
to promote their interests. The connry tlieii eimtained about 
twelve hundred inhabitants. Spirit Lake boasted of a do/.iMi 
i)uildings and ^lilford had just Ixvn ])latte«l. Xot .a very ])roin- 
ising: field truly but the project was discussed pro and con and 
tinally decided in the attirmativi'. TIk' (piestion then arose as 
to who would stand sponsor for the literary tledgelinc,'. The 
responsibility was a grave one. It entail(Ml uincli l.;d)nr without 
remuneration and the chances were about nine in ten that tlie 
imlilisher would siuk money. 

"Finally ^fessrs. Orson liice and Ti. 1.. Wileox agreed to 
make the venture, ^fr. I\ice to attend to the tinancial arrange- 
ments and ^fr. Wilcox to do the {'ditorial work. Another im- 
portant ]n'()!)lem was the choosing of a name for the endu-vo 
journal. This took some hard thought and was for several days 
the subject of grave deliberation in the ( 'randall House bar- 
room, George Bellows' boot .and slun' shop and Koscoe Brown's 
s.aloou, which were the three principal ]ilaces of public resort. 
It was the general feeling that there is everything in a uauK\ 
and common titles, such as Gazette, Times, Journal, I\ep:»rter, 
etc., w<'re un.animotisly and indignantly rejected. Who was 
the first to suggest the 'Beacon' cannot Ik? satisfactorily deter- 
mined, for at least half a dozen different persons claim the 
honor. IFowever, the name "fooV as Iwing remarkaldy api)ro- 
priate. Why it is so appropriate we cannot explain better than 
to give the language of an enthusiastic gentleman who had .1 
hand in the ])arturition. Said he, 'The position whieh Dir-kinson 
County occupies geographically, lK>ing the most (devateil pirti(ui 
of the state, together with our facilities for navigation," here he 
paused and wet his throat with some of "Roscoe's distilled lake 
water, 'makes it peculiarly fitting and meot that we should hav' 
a Beacon to shed its light ujxmi the world .and serve as a guide to 
the weary emigrant seeking a homestead, and by the way, T 
will sliow a man a devilish uood (daim for ten dollars.' 

"This last sentence, however, is foreiiiii to the subject and is 
onlv introduced frtr the sake of euphony. The management 
and name beinu settled, the (piestion of ways and means was 



4:i6 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

left to the newly installed journalists who decided to commence 
by getting patent ontsides and having the inside printed at the 
Estherville Vindicator office. Accordingly the arrangements 
were thus made and in due time the Beacon apjjeared in seven 
column folio form with about three columns of home advertis- 
ing and some two hundred subscribers, including exchanges 
and deadheads. In a few weeks ]\Ir. Wilcox retired, leaving 
the whole burden on Mr. Rice. * " " (During the balance 
of the first year the editorial work fell upon the broad shoulders 
of A. >W. Osborne, Esquire, who performed the onerous task 
faithfully and well. At the end of the first volume Mr. Hice 
found the balance on the wrong side of the ledger. The cost of 
having the printing done was greater than the income and he 
was obliged to have a new deal or give up the game altogether. 
* * * So he took the other horn of the dilemma, bought 
a second-hand outfit of Warren, of the Algona Upper Des 
Moines, and .after several vexatious delays the Beacon com- 
menced its second volume with the outside printed at home. 

•^ -K* re 

''From the commencement of the second volunn' tlie coiU';.'ru 
began to be self-sustaining and in May, 1872, Mr. Rice sold out 
to O. C. Bates, the founder of the Estherville Vindica'tor. * 
* * In October, 1872, Mr. Bates disposed of the office to 
Lamborn & Owen. During the succeeding winter they made 
extensive additions and improvements. In April, 1873, Mr. 
Lamborn disposed of his interest in the Beacon and w.as suc- 
ceeded by J. A. Smith. In April, 1874, Mr. Owen retired and 
was succeeded by A. B. Funk." 

Harmoniously and helpfully Smith (&: Funk pulled together 
until the fall of 1870, when the latter retired. In tlie spring 
of 1881 A. B. Funk l)ought the paiver of J\[r. Smith and has 
ever since been owner or part owner of the same. In 1880 he 
sold a one-half interest in the Beacon to E. G. Bli»ekert, who 
has with the exception of two years steadily retained his con- 
nection with the paper. 

/There have been made at different times in tl'e past several 
efforts to establish a second paper in the town but in 
the earlier days these efforts remind one of the old nursery 
rhyme of ''Three little bugs in a basket with only room for 



OTHER NEWSPAPER VENTURES 447 

two." While it was possible for one ecoiioiuically luauaged 
paper to eke out a precarious existence on the limited and some- 
what uncertain patronage which the earlier days afforded, it 
was very much of a conundrum whether a second venture could 
be made a success. The first attempt at a second piq^er' was 
made by Carl Eastwood, who in 1880 estabiished the Dickinson 
County Journal. As in all new settlements there were times 
when personal and political rivalries ran high and each party 
felt the need of an organ, or at least they thought they did. 
Mr. Eastwood was industrious .and loyal to his friends and 
worked hard but it w.as uphill business. A part of the time he 
conducted the paper in his own name and a ])art of the time in 
the name of the firm Eastwood Brofhers. It was republican in 
politics and had as liberal support as could have been expected 
considering the surrounding conditions. 

In 1884 the Eastwoods disposed of it to J. O. Stewart. Mr. 
Stewart was an old soldier, and a first-class man in every way, 
and tried hard to make his venture a success. He gave the pub- 
lic a good, clean paper, of more than average ability, and iden- 
tified himself with the best citizens in all enterprises calcu- 
lated to advance the interests of the town, but the fact soon be- 
came apparent that there was not legitimate business enough to 
support the two papers, and he got out of it as best he could. 

In 1885 the pajx^r came into the hands of C. H. Avers and 
A. E. Heath, who changed its name and politics, calling it the 
Spirit Lake Democrat. ^Er. Heath was the same year appointed 
postmaster. Indeed, after Cleveland's election in 1884 the 
founding of a democratic newspaper at Spirit Lake was one of 
the chief factors in the controversy to determine the appoint- 
ment of the new postmaster, and the Spirit Lake Democrat was 
the result. But even with the prestige and ])atronage of the 
postoffice the load was larger than he could carry and before 
he realized how he stood he became hopelessly involved and tlie 



448 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

outfit fell into the liands oi the shovitf, ami was <n\A at slicritf's 
sale. 

After various vicissitudes it eauu' into the ])ossessinu of G. 
A. Getchell, l)ett('r kimwu as "Tluekleln'ri-v," who foi- a wliil? 
conducted tlie puldication under the name of "Ilucklelierrv's 
Paper." This was in tlic snniniv'r of iss7, and he susjiended 
publication in tlie fall. For two or three years now tlu^re wai^- 
no second paper. About 18!l() V. B. Crane boucht the old out- 
fit and established the "Spirir Lake Pilot," and eoutiiiued the 
publication of it about a year, when he moved t;) Jackso'.i tak- 
ing the outfit with him. In December, IS'.H, Caswell tS: Clark 
shipped in a new ])ress and att(Mn])ted to r<'sun-ect the "Sj)irit 
Lake Democrat," but with indifferent success. At the end of 
foui' months they threw u]) the s])onii'e, ami thei'e was a:ioi-i<M; 
interval of some three years of but one jvaper. 

In July, 1 81H, Messrs. Reycroft «l*c Flower shi])ped in anot'i'U" 
outfit and commenced the publication of the "Dickinson 
County Herald,*' but findinif thems(dves han(lica])]ie(l for want 
of capital, ^Ir. Flower soon went out of the eoucern and his 
interest canu^ into the liands of William Ilaywai^l iu Ftdu-uary, 
181)5. ^Ir. Hayward took hold of the entei'prisc with his usual 
energy, and soon worked u]) a liood circulation, but findinn' that 
it interfei'ed too much with his rejiular !)usiness, he s(dd out to 
11. \"an Stecnburg, haviiiu i)reviou<ly b iui;ht Mr. lieyer(d't's 
interest. This was July 1, Is'.h;. Mr. \'au Steenburii, not b?- 
iiii;' .a newspa])er man, enuaiicd the services of J. L. Duidiam 
as editor and condneteil it as an independent I'epuliliean pajt^U' 
until .Mandi, 1898, when lie disposed of it to L. F. Stowe, who 
leased it to Mr. Duiduim for one year, after which .an arrange- 
ment was made hy whi(di (J. A. Taft came into ])i)ssessi(vn and 
control of the paper, and conducted it until the spring of llio!. 

Fmler his conser\-at i\'e nninaiicnu'iit nineli of the earlier hil- 
tcrness has been (diminated .and as the ])opulation. and business 



CIVIC SOCIETIKS 449 

(if tlio (•(luiitry iiici-cas.'il the |ir«is|)ci'ity ami iiillucncc of tlic^ 
IlVr.ald increased witli ir, iiiiiil ii lui> cmuic to l»e I'c^aiMled as 
one of the pcnnancnt and sid>staiiii:il inst imtinns ut" the lown 
and is oradnally \vorkin_i>- its way into [xipnlai- favor. It ehaniicd 
f)\vnc'rs auain in the snnnner of \*M)\ and the new ])ropri(>tors 
are earnestly lali<trinii- to kecj) it ahre.tist of the liesi ])a])ers of 
the county. 

The civic societies beloiigini>' to this j)eriod were the Masons, 
()(hl Felh)ws, Patrons of Hiishandry and Good Templars. 'I\vi- 
liiiht Lodge, ^'o. ■)-2\K Ancient ( )i(l( r of Free and Accepted Ma- 
sons, was first organized iin(iei' a dis|)ensation grantiMJ hy rlu' 
Grand Lodge of L)wa on the eighteenth day of September, 1873. 
The first elective officers were: Alfred Davis, W. M. ; C. TI. 
Ayers, S. W. ; A. Iv. Sawyer, d.iW. ; A. M. Johnson, Secretary, 
and Zina Henderson, Treasnr<'r. A charter was granted on the 
tliird day of June, 1ST4. The present niendx-rship is <i.\ty. 
The present elective officers are: (). I. Wilson, AV. M.: James 
Ackley, S. W. ; I. X. Blakcy, d. W. ; S. L. Pillshnry, Treasnrer, 
and E. D. Carlton, Secretary. The Past ^Listers are Alfred 
Davis, (". ir. Ayers, O. Crandall, J. A. Smith, d. F. Dare, K. 
A. Smith, W. F. Pillshnry, George Stoerlein. W. F. Carleton. 
F. 1). Carleton, A. P,. Funk and O. L Wils,.n. 

In connection with the ^lasonic lodge. Twilight ("haj)ter Xo. 
— , Order of the Eastern Star, was organized at Sj)irit Lake 
under a dispensation grante(l l)y rlu- (irand ("ha|tter some time 
•luring the winter of l^Td and 1^77. idle minutes of tlie chaji- 
ter for the time they worked under disp<'nsation cannot be found 
and therefore we have to depend on the nieuKUw of tlie earlier 
meml^ers for what facts are (d)tainalih'. The old tiles cf the 
Beacon contain an account of a piddic installation held .lun;' 
24, 1877, which was follow(Ml by a festival nnder the manage- 
ment of the Eastern Star chaptci- wliicdi fixes tlu' <late i.f their 
first organization back (d that time. Mrs. I'^mnie Jemerson 



450 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

was the first Worthy Matron and Mrs. Anna L. Rice, Associate, 
with Mrs. Jane Avers, Secretary, and Mrs. F. I. Pillsl)nrv, 
Treasurer. iMrs. Jenierson was succeeded by ^[rs. Ilicr^ as 
Worthy Matron either in 1878 or 1870. The charter l)ears date 
Febrnary 26, 1880. The first Worthy Matron under the char- 
ter was Mrs. Anna L. Rice with Mrs. D. Eighmy, Associate, 
and J. A. Smith, Worthy Patron. ]\rrs. Rice was succeeded by 
Mrs. E. Palmer in 1882 or 1883. 

After a time the interest began to flag. Tlie attendanci' Avas 
light until finally the meetings ceased .altogether. A small 
company of members, consisting of Mrs. F. I. Pilkbury, Mrs. 
Minnie Francis, Mrs. Ella Johnson, Mrs. Anna Chisholm, Mrs. 
M. C. Cory, Mrs. Jennie Avers and possibly one or two others 
(this list is made from memory), rather than see the charter 
surrendered and the chapter fall to ])ieces, kept up the Grand 
ChaiDter dues and the annu.al reports and did what else was 
necessary to keep the organization intact and save the charter. 
IMatters drifted along in this unsatisfactory manner until 18!)4 
when the members who had stayed by it decided th.at it \\as 
time to make an effort either to revive the work and place the 
now nearly defunct organization on its feet once more or to 
abandon it altogether. 

The attempt at reorganization was ,a nuirked success. ^lany 
accessions to the membership followed and soon the chai)ter 
came to be one of the most popular of the social organizations 
of the day. The first set of ofheers under the new dispensation 
was as follows : Worthy Matron, Mrs. L. H. Farnham ; Patron, 
L. II. Farnham; Associate Matron, Mrs. J. W. Cory; Secre- 
tary, S. L. Pillsbury; Treasurer, Mrs. S, L. Pillsbury. In 
1800 Mrs. Farnham was succeeded by Mrs. Palmer as Matron, 
who in turn was succeeded by Mrs. H. A. Miller in 1901. The 
/other officers at the present time are : Associate Matron, Mrs. 
V. C. Hemenway; Patron, Thomas Burt; Secretary, Miss Ma- 



CIVIC SOCIETIES 451 

bel Carlton, and Treasurer, .Mrs. S. ].. Pillshurv. The total 
membership is about fortv-tive. Much credit is due the faithful 
few who stood bv the organization in its hour of adversity and 
contributed so much to its subsequent prosperity. 

A chai^tcr of Roy.al Arch '^lasons was organized at Spirit 
Lake May 24, 1901, under a disjiensation granted May 15, 
1901. The Beacon of June seventh gives the new organization 
the following send-off: 

"Spirit Lake Chapter, Koyal Arch ^fasons, is now in work- 
ing order under dispensation oltieered as follows: High Priest, 
Chas. I. Eeigard; King, Dr. Q. C. Fuller; Scribe, T. E. Burt ; 
Treasurer, J. W. Cravens; Secretary, W. A. Siddall : Cap- 
tain of the Host, L. H. Farnhani ; Principal Sojourner. \V. P. 
Stone; Royal Arch Captain, A. B. Funk; ^faster of Third 
Vail, H. A. Miller; Master Second Vail, P. E. Xarev; Mastrn- 
Second Vail, C. T. Chandler; Tyler, O. Crandall. TJie regular 
night of meeting has not yet been appointed. The next meeting 
will be this ^Friday) evening. Niiu^ candidates awair initia- 
tion." 

Soon after the building of the railroads to Spirit Lake som.^ 
members of the Grand Comnianderv of the Knights Templar 
conceived the plan of erectiing somewhere in the lake region a 
structure that would be regarded by mend)ers of the Order .as 
a kind of home or headquarters where they could s|)en<l tlicir 
annual summer vacation and which would serve as a proj)»'r 
place for holding their annual conclave and banquet. In pur- 
suance of this design a committee was appointed to examine 
and select suitable grounds for that purpose. After examining 
several that were offered them they decided to report in favor 
of what has since been known as Fort Dodge Point on West 
Okoboji Lake, but when tMs report was presented to the Grand 
Commandery it was so strongly opposed by the officers and 
agents of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway, 
who were mostly members of the order, that they succeeded in 
defeating it and a second committee was appointed. 



CIVIC sociiniKts 453 

This (Miiiiiiittoc. after cxaiiiii'.inii' tlif several pniiits (iH'crcil. 
rc|)(»rt<'tl ill t'aviir of the |ilac,' that was afterward seleeteil ai.-ii 
whii'h is now known .as " Teiiiphii' Park." This consist., of a 
xvooih'il ]»roiiiontorv of ahoiit twenty acres situaleil on the soutl:- 
west shore of Spirit Lake an«l hut a short ilistance from the 
I>urliiii>tnn (h'i)ot on tlie isthiniis. Tlii^ tract was purchased of 
Mr. A. Kiiiiinijui hy the peopL' of Spirii Lake and th-e .Hurliiiii- 
teii, ("edar Rapids \' Xorthern Uailway and (hni.ated to tlio criiu- 
luanih'r for the ])iirpose heretofore indicate(L It w.as con\'eyed 
hy (LhmI to Kiaht Eiriinent Sir daiiu's ALirtin, (irand ( 'oiu- 
iinuKh'r; W. A. McGnie. \'ery I\niinent Deputy (Jrand ( om- 
niaiuh'r; S. d. I>eiinett, Kniiiieiil (icneralissinio, ami A. U. 
Dewey, Kminent (Jraml ( 'apt.ain («r(Mieral, and tlieii- successors 
111 ofHce as trustees of the Riiiht imminent (irand ( 'ommamh'i'v 
Kuiiihts 'l'eiii])lar ef the state of Liwa. The work of iiiii)rove- 
ment commenced in tlie summer of L^^ST) and has been gradu- 
ally carrieil forward tn the present time. 

^linnie W'aukon Lodlic, Xo. i.*74, Imh'pi'ndeiit Onler of Oihl 
Fellows, was oriianized .Martdi .">, Ls74. The officer.-; olecteil 
for the first term were .as follows: A. A. .Musher, Xoble Grand: 
L. K. ITolcoml), Vice-Grand; William ILdms, Treasurer; X. 
d. W'oodin, Permanent Socretarx, ami Jv. D. Owen, Ilecordin<>' 
Secretary. This loifiic has had a sonu'what (dieekered existence. 
A portion <>i' the time it has Ik-cii on the liiiih wax'es of pros- 
perity, and ar other timi's tli ■ interest has fallen to a low cM*. 
The present meml);'rsliij) is forty-one. The P.ast (irands ar;-: 
A. A. Mosher, L. K. Ilolcomh, d. A. Smith, S. K. PA-ans, (ieorjie 
IlilI.ert, Orson Rice, ( '. ('. Perrin, D. L. Piley, ('. A. .\rno|,l. 
E. F. Hill, William M. Smith, d. S. Everett aid Clarence Hit-. 
The ])rc.sent olficers are: .\. (!., d. K. Russcdl; \'. ('... W. V. 
Beerman ; Secretary, d. W . ( 'hesinnt ; Treasurer, .\. lliird; 
C'ondiietor, ( dias. Liiuh'r, and Warden, ( ). i!jorii>en. I he Ife- 
lickali deiiree was ori:aiii/.ed Septeiiiher '>. L'^T'i. At the present 



454 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

time the lodge is in first-class condition and prospering finely. 

The Patrons of Husbandry were but are not. When first 
organized they manifested a great degree of zeal and enthusi- 
asm. But it soon died out and the organization itself went a 
glimmering years ago. The Spirit Lake Grange, Patrons of Hus- 
bandry, Avas organized March 17, 1874, with officers as follows: 
W. B. Brown, Master ; S. E. Evans, Overseer ; C. E. Abbott, 
Lecturer; Isaac Ames, Steward; H. C. Owen, Assistant Stew- 
ard; William Helms, Chaplain; George Hilbfrt, Secretary; 
James Cousins, Treasurer, and James Evans, Gatekeeper. Mrs. 
James Helms, Ceres ; Mrs. W. B. Brown, Flora ; Mrs. William 
Helms, Pomona, and Mrs, Thomas Pegdon, Lady Assistant 
Steward. The average membership was about sixty. The or- 
ganization was maintained with a great deal of enthusiasm for 
about five years when the interest began to flag and by 1886 
the organization was numbered with the things tliat wore lint 
are not. 

A lodge of Good Templars w.as another of the early day insti- 
tutions of Spirit Lake. Statistics are not at hand for mueh 
of an outline of it. Among its more prominent promoters were 
G. S. Needham, A. W. Osborne, J. L. Coppoc, C. H. Ayers 
and others of the principal citizens of the town. In 1876 
J. A.Smith of the Beacon wrote of it as follows: 

"A lodge of Good Teniphirs has hecii in existence at Spirit 
Lake for several years past with intermittent success, sometimes 
flourishing and then gradually losing ground. At present the 
tide of its fortune is at such a low ebb that it can scarcely be 
reckoned among the living institutions of the county." 

These four comprise the civic societies of the pioneer d.uys. 
Those of later date are the (iraud Army of the llepublic, the 
Knights of Pytlnias, Ancient Order of LInired Workmen, the 
^Nfodern Woodmen of America aiul the American Yeoman. 



CIVIC SOCIETIES 



455 



IWinget Post, No. 226 of the Grand Army of the Kepul)!'.'-, 
was organized under a charter bearing date Xovembcr -M, 
1883. The first list of officers was as follows : Commander, C. 
C. Perrin; Senior Vice-Commapdor, I). L. Riley; Jnnior Wcv- 
Commander, E. L. Bro^^^lell; Chaplain, H. Wood; Quarter- 
master, Isaac Tncker; Officer of the Guard, S. B. Miller; Quar- 
termaster Sergeant, Peter Flcmming; Surgeon, E. L. Brow- 
nell; Adjutant, J. O. Stewart. Subsequent connuandcrr^ have 
been : D. L. Riley, E. V. D.avis, George Baxter, S. B. Miller, J. 
AV. Klein, Peter Flemming, II. H. Campbell and E. L. Brow- 
nell. The present officers are : Commander, E. V. Davis ; Senior 
Vice-Commander, H. H. Campbell; Junior Vice-Commander, 
Newton Farmer; Post Surgeon, A. Kingman; Chaplain, J. \V. 
Klein, and Quartermaster, II. II. Green. The membership is 
now about twenty. As the old veterans are mustered out there 
are none to fill their places. 

Summit Ix)dge, No. 86, Knights of Pythias, was organized 
at Spirit Lake October 18, 1882, and received its charter 
the twenty-sixth of the same month. There were sixteen charter 
members. The first officers were : G. P. Hopkins, P. C. ; W. A. 
Siddall, C. C. ; W. B. Brown, V.-C. ; D. L. Riley, Prelate ; E. 
F. Newell, K. of R. and S. ; F. E. Hopkins, M. of A. ; C. S. 
Fletcher, M. of E. ; IWilliam Hayward, M. of F. ; S. P. Fisher, 
I. G.; J. F. Olmstead, O. G. The C. C.'s (Chancellor, Com- 
manders) since that time have been D. L. Riley, E. L. Brow- 
nell, E. F. Merrill, E. C. lienken, J. G. Waite, E. G. Blackert, 
C. F. Clark, M. W. Reason, G. P. Hopkins, Jos. A. Smith, C. 
C. Perrin, J. A. Swailes, HI VanSteenburg, H. F. Requart, V. 
A. Arnold, S. A. Peters, H. H. Buck, H. E. White, J. E. 
Mitchell, L. A. Hemenway, R. S. Gruhlke and W. B. Slattery. 
The present membership is about thirty-two. It was .at one 
time much larger, but many have niovccl away aufl tlicir places 
have not been filled. Tlie present (.ffic<"rs arc: W. B. Slattery, 



45(1 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

C. C. : M. G. McClintock, V.-C. ; L. A. IleiucMiwny, X. of 
R. and S. ; V. A. xVrnold, Prelate. 

The Ancient Order of United Workmen oroanized a l<tdi>t' in 
Spirit Lake Aug-nst 1, 18i_K'>,. ^vhen the fo]h)win2: ofHcers were 
elected and installed: P. ^I. \V., ('. B. Fonntain ; ^1. W., Geori>v 
S. Tnttle; Foreman, R. F. Gruhlke ; Overseer, James P. 
Thriller; Recorder, ('. AV. Price; Financier, Wilhnr Evarts; 
Recaiver, S. B. ^^liller; Gnide, B. W. Blanchard ; J. AV., O. 
Sterner; O. 'W., A. Ilarrley ; Trnstees, A Hartley, T. H. Price 
and E. Ke])hart : Medical Examiners, Doctors Fonntain ami 
Brownell. The lodg'e is known as S])irit Lake Lodge, Xb. 
•J'A. Tlic blaster Workmen since that time liave been Gcorac 
S. Tnttle, R. F. Grnhlke, George F. Arp, A. E. Arp, A. :\r. 
Owen, A. F. ^^lerrill, J. P. ':AIiller and C. HI Price. The 
present officers are: R. F. Grnhlke, P. :\r. \V. : T. T'rice, :\I. \V. : 
John Hafcr, Treasnrer; B. L. Francis. Overseer; A. F. Mer- 
rill, Financier; A. E. Arp, Recorder; W. A. Price, Receiver; 
('. A. Lynn, Guide; W. Taylor, J. fW. ; Walter Peck, O. AV. 

Spirit Lake Cam]), Xo 4-47!>, Afodern Wocxhnen of America, 
was organized at S})irit Lake Jann.arv 21, 1SI)7. at which time 
the tirst set of officers were elected and installed by State T)ei)nty 
Adelshein acting as installing officer. The following is a li^t 
of officers: Venerable Counsel, Charles I. Reigard ; Worthy 
.Vdvisor, A. 1). Gray; Banker, LL E. St. Clair; Local CU-rk. 
A. II. Jemcrson; Escort, ]>. ( ". Wells; Bhysician, J. I>. Stair; 
Watchman, R. S. ]\liller; Sentry, E. Ke])hart ; ^Managers, I). 
X. Guthrie, W. F. ]>eerman and H. H. I^uck. Venerable Coun- 
suls since that time have l)een : 1808, T). C. Wells; 181MI, C. 
L. Knowh-s; lllOO, ('. kinder; IHOI, A. 1). Gray. The present 
officers are: Vice-Counsel, A. D. Gray; AVorthy Advisor, C. L. 
Ivnowles ; Banker, L. D. Goodrich; Local Clerk. W. F. Dex- 
lieinK'r; Escort, Charles Linder ; Pliysiciaii, .\ K. Rector; 
Watchman, J. E. Ravniond ; Sentrv, J. M. Ilardman. The 



OTHER SOCIETIES 457 

present membership is one hundred and sixteen. The organi 
zation has prospered from the start and much interest, and en- 
thusiasm has been manifested. 

Spirit Lake Homestead, Brotherhood of American Yeomen, 
No. 273, was organized October 18, 1899, with th(- following 
officers duly elected and installed : W. T. Davidson, Foreman ; 
A. F. Merrill, Correspondent ; H. E. St. Clair, Overseer ; Henry 
Arthur, Master of Ceremonies ; James Crowell, Watchman ; 
Frank Ellston, Guard; Hattie FarnKam, Eebecca; Mrs. Clara 
Jones, Rowena ; and C. P. Soper, Physician. At the time of 
founding the Homestead was composed of sixty-two members, 
and is now in a flourishing condition. The position of Fore- 
man has been held by W. T. Davidson, Charles I. Reigard, H. 
E. St. Clair and C. H. 'Wylder, in the order named. Of course 
this order being new not much has occurred in its history worthy 
of special mention. Like all other fraternal insurance com- 
panies its success will depend on the tenacity with which the 
individual members cling to the organization. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

THE EAELY CHURCHES M. E. PASTOES BAPTISTS 

FIRST CHURCH BUILDING IN THE COUNTY REV. 

J. L. COPPOC SUBSEQUENT PASTOES CONGEE- 

GATIONALISTS EEV. J. E. UPTON PEESBY- 

TEEIANS, THEIR PASTOES AND CHUECH EPIS- 
COPALIANS LUTHERANS THE CATHOLICS THE 

EVEEGEEEN SABBATH SCHOOL SPIEIT LAKE MUS- 
ICAL ASSOCIATION THE PIONEER CORNET BAND 

THE PIONEER GIELs' CLUB THE SPIEIT LAKE 

CHAUTAUQUA. 




A.]^Y of the more prominent institutions of the town date 
*from the early seventies. The schools, churches and 
divic societies all had their origin about that time. The 
organization and early work of the Methodists has been 
noticed at some length, and the names of the pastors given up 
to 1876. That year during the ministry of Rev. J. E. Cohenour 
they erected their first church building. This w.as the second 
church building in the county. Previous to that time they had 
held their services in the courthouse. The church was dedi- 
cated September 1, 1878, Rev. I. N". Pavdee officiating. The 
different Methodist preachers located here from that time to the 
present are: P. H. Eighmy, iW. H. Drake, Bennett Mitchell, 
F. J. McCaffree, G. W. L. Brown, W. T. Cole, H. B. Green, 
Joel A. Smith, F. Saunderson, F. E. Day, W. D. Phifer, W. 
T. MacDonald, W. M. Todd and E. E. Lymer. 

In 1892 the church building was thoroughly renovated and a 
spacious addition erected. This church has ever been aggressive 
and strong and has from the first enjoyed a good degree of 
growth and prosperity. Wide awake Sabbath schools have been 



THE CHURCHES 



459 




M. E. CHURCH — SPIRIT LAKE. 



iiiaintained from the start, and all of the up-to-date accessories 
for effectual church work are liberally and enthusiastically 
supported. 

The Baptists first (trg'aiii/ccd a cluirch in this county in tlic 
winter of 1872 and 1873 under the ministry of Rev. AV. A. 
Dorward, and built a substantial church building in the summer 
of 1874, which by the way, was the first church building crect'^d 
in tlie county. This church was dedicated July 2(1, 1874. Ticv. 
officiating. Air. Dnrward was succeeded in his min- 
istry by Rev. J. L. ('oj)p(X', who remained here several vein-. 
It may lx> interesting to some to know that Afr. C'oppoc 1i;m1 
two brothers who were with Jnlm lirnwn's men in the historic 
raid on Tlarjjcr's Ferry. One <»f the ])r(>thers was caj^tuicd, 
tried for treason and executed for his share in that wild scheme, 
while the younger (Barclay) esca]>cd and made his way back 
to Iowa and afterward to Canada. 



460 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Mr. Coppoc was succeeded in 1881 by Rev. W. H. WhiteLsw, 
who remained one year, and was in turn succeeded by Rev. B. H. 
Brastead, who remained in charge of the work until 1887 or 
1888, when he was succeeded by Rev. ;W. H. Dorward, a 
son of W. A. Dorward, who organized the church 
nearly fifteen years before. Rev. Charles Andrews suc- 
ceeded Dorward and remained two years, when lie was 
succeeded by Rev. — Broadbridge, who stayed one year. 
For three or four years now the church building was occu- 
pied by "The Church of God," which was originally an off- 
shoot of the German Lutherans. Their first pastor w.as Rev. 
Guenter, who was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Ault. In 1900 the 
Baptists again occupied their church, Rev. William Megan ofii- 
ciating. In February, 1901, he was succeeded by Rev. J. G. 
Eaton. During the summer of 1901 repairs and improvements 
were made to the amount of $1,500. A prosperous Sabbath 
school has been maintained much of the time and the church 
has enjoyed a good degree of prosi>erity. 

The early work of Rev. J. R. Upton for the Congregational 
Church has been noticed at some length. He remained in the 
work here and at Lakeville something over twelve years. The 
Congregationalists never had a church building at Spirit Lake, 
but most of the time held their services at the courthouse. After 
Mr. Upton left, which was about 1883 or 1884, most of the mem- 
bers of his church went to the Presbyterians, and the Congre- 
gational organization w.as discontinued. 

The Presbyterian Church is of later date than those hereto- 
fore mentioned, their first organization having been effected 
December 14, 1881, through the efforts of Rev. A. K. Baird, 
Superintendent of Home Missions for Iowa. The first board 
of trustees was W. H. Bailey, Thomas Cousins and D. R. Chis- 
holm ; first elder, Moses Thompson. The first pastor, G. N". 
Luccok served during the balance of 1881 and 1882. After 



THE CHURCHES 



461 




l:" '"(iiiiiiiii:i 



PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH — SPIRIT LAKE. 



him were Rev. J. R Eosser, 1883; Rev. J. H. Carpenter, 1884 
to 1888; Rev. A. M. West, 1888 to 1890; Rev. C. E. Fueomaii, 
1891 to 1895; Rev. H. J. Frothinghara, 1895 to 1899; Rev. 
•W. H. P. McDonald, February to November, 1900. Rev. Bert 
A. Ravson began labor January 6, 1901, and is tlie first installed 
pastor of the church, all others having been stated supplies. 
For the first five years the services were for the most part held 
in Beacon Hall. During the winter of 1885 and 1886 the pre- 
liminary steps were taken for the erection of a church build- 
ing. Work on the foundation was commenced in the spring, 
and on the twenty-sixth of July the cornerstone was laid with 
simple and appropriate ceremonies. Work above the founda- 
tion commenced September second. Tlie building, though not 
w^holly completed was first occupied for the morning serviof 
December 12, 1886. It was dedicated July 24, 1887, Rev. 
D. W. Fahs, of Des Moines, delivered the dedicatory sermon. 
Rev. T. S. Bailey, State Superintendent of Missions, followed 
with a presentation of the financial condition and needs of the 
church. 



462 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

December 8, 1886, a society was organized under the name 
of the "Guild of the Good Shepherd." The charter members 
were Mrs. D. F. Van Steenburg, Mrs. LeRoy Davis, Mrs. W. 
]W. Stowe, Mrs. J. W. Corj, Mrs. Henry Thompson, Mrs. iWil- 
liani Vreeland and Mrs! G. P. Hopkins. The firgt rector was 
Rev. — Walker. Previous to the building of the chapel, ser- 
vices were held in the old Beacon Hall or the Baptist Church, 
and later in an .abandoned store. The contract for building a 
chapel was let in July, 1804, to LeRoy Davis. On August 7, 
1894, the cornerstone was laid with appropriate ceremonies by 
the Venerable Irving McElroy, of iAVaverly, acting as the rep- 
resentative of Bishop Perry, who was in Europe at the tinio. 
The total cost of the building .and lot was about $2,850. The 
building committee were John Cravens, W. W. Stowe, Williajii 
Hayward arid A. (W. Osborn. The chapel was completed .md 
opened for divine service entirely free from debt October '2S, 
1804, Rev. T. F. Bowen officiating. June 30, 1805, the chapel 
was consecrated, Bishop Perry presiding. 

Among the early settlers were a number of G<'rinan Luther- 
ans, who .as early as 1800 and 1870 located to the northwest vf 
the town of Spirit Lak(>, in S])irit Lake and Diamond Lake 
townships, and true to their ancient traditions they brought 
their strenuous antl jxt'sltive ideas of v 'liristianity with them, 
and among their first acts they made pi'ov'jsion for mainr.aiii- 
ing religious worship in their own language and according to 
the tenets of their own faith. Prominent among these early 
workers were P. Bergman, ( ". Britch, C. Horn, Peter Vick, 
Henry Bibow, and a few others. The first meeting was held ;tt 
the cabin of P. Bergman in LS71, the services being conducted 
by Rev. T. Mertens, a pioneer preacher wlio was. sent out to 
visit the frontier settlements to hunt out liis native country- 
men and minister to their spiritual necessities, aiul proxnde for 
the nuiinteiuuicc of religious \vorslii|i among tlit'in according 



THE CHURCHES 463 

to their established beliefs. This practice of holding services at 
the homes of the settlers at stated periods w.as kept up for sev- 
eral years. (Mr. Mertens was succeeded by Kev. E. H. Scheitz, 
of Algona. After the building of the Swailes Schoolhouse the 
meetings were principally held there. In 1878 Rev. C. \V. 
Waas was stationed here and placed in charge of the work. 
He at once set himself at work to secure .a permanent place of 
worship of their own, and in 1879 they built in Spirit Lake 
their first church building, which was a plain and unpretentious 
structure, and was planned to serve the threefold purpose of 
church, parsonage and schoolroom. It is a well known char- 
acteristic of the Lutherans that they believe religious instruc- 
tion should be an essential part of every child's early training, 
and therefore they made provision .accordingly. It was not in- 
tended that the instruction given should be in lieu of the public 
schools, but in addition thereto that each child might have the 
training deemed necessary as a proper preparation for confir- 
mation and church membership, and it was in this sense that 
the school w.as established. Mr. IWaas continued in the work 
until 1881. Following him were E. |W. Mensing, 1881 to 
1883, and John Becker, 1883 to 1884. In 1884 a change was 
made and the charge enlarged to embrace Spirit Lake, Esther- 
villo and Jackson, and was placed in charge of Rev. A. Gop- 
pelt, who divided his time among the three places and remained 
on the work for over ten years. Through his efforts a new and 
commodious church building was erected in 1895, and other 
improvements made. He was succeeded by A. Enselert, who 
remained until 1900. This society has never been numerically 
strong, but their members have ever l)oen loyal to tlieir eliureh 
and zealous in its support. 

While the Catholic element has never been .as numerous in 
this town as in some others, they have from t\\v first been liberal 
and loyal supporters (jf tbeir elmreh. Tnlike most towns in 



464 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

northwestern Iowa, the early Catholics were not of Irish ex- 
traction but French and Canadian. They were reinforced 
later on by some Irish. In 1873 the Rev. J. J. Smith, of Em- 
metsbnrg, held the first Catholic services in the county at the 
house of Oliver Saraziue. He continued to hold services here 
twice a year at least and sometimes oftener until 1881 when 
Rev. M. K. Norton was stationed here as resident priest and 
held services here once in three weeks. 

In the spring of 1882 Father J^orton and Oliver Sarazine 
collected money to build a Catholic church. The amount col- 
lected was $(1,500 and the church w.as erected the following 
fall. Father Norton was the only resident priest that ever lived 
in Spirit Lake and he remained here until 1887 when he was 
succeeded by Rev. L. Carroll, of Spencer. His successors were 
Rev. P. Macaully, Rev. P. A. Rl. Tierney and Rev. L. Kirby, 
in the order named, all of whom resided in Spencer and gave 
every third Sunday to Spirit Lake. This arrangement lasted 
until 1898, when the church here was placed in charge of Rev. 
M. R. Daley, of Estherville. He died on November 10, 1900, 
and was succeeded by his brother. Rev. J. R. Daley, who is 
pastor at the present time. The church is a frame building 
and is located in the north part of town on a' site donated by 
B. B. Van Steenburg, who though an Episcopalian himself, 
was ready to assist all worthy enterprises. There are about 
fifteen families in the parish and the church is free from 
debt. 

One of the early day institutions of the to^^^l of Spirit Lake 
which is still remembered with much pleasure by those who 
participated in it is the Evergreen Sabbath School. While tlie 
several churches were conducted along denominational lines 
even in the early days, the Evergreen Sabbath School was a 
cosmopolitan affair and strictly nonsectarian. All met on a com- 
mon platform and labored for a common object. G. S. Need- 



EVERGREEN SABBATH SCHOOL 465 

ham was the first superiuteiident and \w was assisted by au able 
and enthusiastic corps of teachers and subordinates. Subse- 
quent to Mr. Needham's time, the superintendents were A. ^f. 
Johnson, C. H. Ayers and J. A. Doughty, in the order named. 
For several years there was no other Sabbath school in town. 
Its name and fame spread to adjacent neighborhoods. Stran- 
gers staying in town over Sunday visited the Evergreen Sabbath 
School. So common was the practice that at one time a visitors' 
class was organized and Rev. J. L. Coppoc, pastor of the Baptist 
Church, was selected to conduct it. The school was highly suc- 
cessful from the start and continued in existence several years 
until, as the churches multiplied and grew stronger, each one 
conceived it to be an imperative duty to organize .and maintain a 
Sabbath school of their own, and this interesting and highly suc- 
cessful effort of the early times was allowed to die out to make 
room for several denominational schools that grew up in its 
stead. 

Another of the institutions of this same period was the 
Spirit Lake Musical Association. During the winter of 1875 
and 187G the Leslie Concert Troupe made a tour of the towns 
of northwestern Iowa organizing musical associations and giv- 
ing concerts. The struck Spirit Lake December eighth. The 
Beacon of the ninth has the following notice: 

"musical. 

"The Leslie ^[usical Troupe which has visited several towns 
in northwestern Iowa lately will give a concert at the Baptist 
Church tomorrow night. It is their intention to oroani/ce a 
Musical Association and from the interest usually evinced in 
matters of this kind by our people we think a large class will be 
raised. There can be no question as to their ability, as they 
have given satisfaction wherever they have been." 

The company gave their closing concert Tuesday evening, 
December twenty-first. The Musical Association was organized 
the evening before, of which the Beacon gives the following 
account : 



466 dickinson county - iowa 

^"musical association. 

"An organization was formed last Monday night in town 
under the above name with the following officers : President, 
S. L. Pillsbnry ; Vice-President, C. H. Ayers ; Secretary, J. 
A. Ellis ; Treasurer, Miss Dena Barkman. About forty names 
were attached to the articles of organization and a lively in- 
terest seems to be taken in the matter. The object of the 
association is to keep up a musical interest in the communitv 
and to furnish an opportunity for advancement in the art by 
continued practice and mutual instruction. Meetings will be 
appointed once a week and strict rules will be adopted to insure 
the attendance of the members." 

Well, the class was organized and the next issue of the paper 
has the following: 

"Spirit Lake is chuck full of music this week. Everybody 
reads music, talks music, sings music, in season and out of 
season. In fact, there's music in the air and it permeates every 
nook and corner of our little city. Young men and maidens 
court the muse, hoping to increase their accomplish- 
ments. Middle-aged persons whose early education in this 
direction was neglected are now trying to make up for lost 
time, and old men whose entire musical collection for year?? 
past has consisted of a medley composed of "Old Hundred," 
"Yankee Doodle," "Ortonville" and "Erin Go Bragh," are put- 
ting in their best licks learning to sing the new fangled tunes. 
The town is full of sharps and flats, some produced by art, but 
more the work of nature. Selah." 

The above extract gives something of an idea of the enthu n- 
asm worked up. It is not at all overdrawn. 

The foregoing incidents may seem decidedly commonplace, 
and indeed they would be hardly worth the telling were it not 
for the fact that they mark the first awakening of the s]-)irit 
of iui]U'(ivenient and musical development which has in more 
recent times been so marked a characteristic of our people. It is 
an acknowledged fact that the Spirit Lake Chautauqua annu- 
ally puts before the public one of the choicest, if not the 
choicest, program, literary and musical, of any organization 



PIONEER CORNET BAND 467 

of its kind in the West. Now, if the demand did not exist they 
could not do it. Where did this demand originate ? It didn't 
come by chance. It had to be created, cultivated and fostered. 
What connection there may be between the early efforts and 
the development of the later days, we don't know, but the fact 
remains true all the same that there is no other town in Iowa 
in proportion to its population tliat aunually invests anywhere 
near as much in musical entertainments as Spirit Lake. 

The Spirit Lake Cornet Band is of later date. The follow- 
ing from the Beacon of Xovcmbcr 17, 1878, gives the details, 
however, of its organization: 

"There is a series of commonplace events that occur uniform- 
ly and mark epoclis in .the history af a town. The first church, 
the first lodge, the first sidewalk, the first railroad, all these 
things come and form in their turn starting points in the 
ordinary system of chronological mnemonics that serve to guide 
us in remembering our daily transactions. Coming in the 
regular order with the numerous improvements that mark the 
progress of our town, sounding brass and tinkling cynil)al unite 
in harmonious effort to proclaim our metropolitan yearniiig-^, 
and S])irit Lake can now boast of a full fledged cornet banti. 
A full set of -instruments in the latest styloi and with all the 
modern improvements arrived here last Friday. The previou:^- 
ly organized band was waiting to receive them, and after the 
trial they were distributed as follows: W. F. Pillsbury, K 
flat cornet ; S. P. Middleton, E flat cornet ; T. J. Francis, B 
flat cornet; A. W. Middleton, B flat cornet; Carl Blackert, 
tenor; T. L. Twiford, alto; J. A. Ellis, alto; S. L. Pillsbury, 
baritone; J. A. Smith, E flat bass; C. W. Bowne, snare drum; 
J. S. Johnston, bass drum. The instruments are from the well 
known house of Lyon & IIeal> of Chicago, and give perfect 
satisfaction. After a few weeks practice the boys will be ready 
to discourse sweet music. For the present, however, they have 
retired to hidden recesses and practice their lessons under the 
rose." 

The accompanying illustration is copied from an old photo- 
graph in possession of Mrs. -T. L. Davi^;. The names of tbe 



468 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




PIONEER CORNET BAND. 



parties are as given in the list, with the addition that the figure 
at the left of the line was not a memher of the band at all, bat 
"Grandpap Clark," as the bovs called him, a veteran and pen- 
sioner of the war of 1812, who was passionately fond of music 
and inordinately proud of the new band. Whenever the boys 
met for practice, no matter what the weather was, "Grandpap'' 
was always on hand, and as the boys lined up he would take 
his position beside the leader and following them through all 
the changes would keep time with the music oblivious to all 
external surroundings. 

Since that time there have been bands and bands. Indeed, 
Spirit Lake has seldom been without a band. Some of them 
have undoubtedly excelled the original in artistic rendition 
and musical culture, but for honest, earnest, conscientious en- 
deavor, the pioneer band was without peer or rival. 

Among the many social organizations which have first and 
last been brought into existence by surrounding conditions, 



PIONEER girls' CLUB 469 

there are none that, for the time being, afforded more genuine 
satisfaction to those connected with it than the 'Tioneer Girls' 
Club." The plan and scope of the organization is unique and 
decidedly original. So far as known there is nothing like it 
anywhere else. As may be readily understood, there has al- 
ways existed a sympathy, or a kind of freemasonry, among the 
children of the families of the pioneer settlers, and as they 
grew to manhood and womanhood, it afforded them no small 
degree of satisfaction to get together and compare notes, or 
as the newspaper men Avould put it, "swap lies," concerning 
the many and varied vicissitudes which at different times came 
into the experience of the early pioneers. 

The impressions of childhood are the ones that stay by us 
through life the most persistently, and as the years go by and 
the episodes of middle life become indistinct and partially for- 
gotten, the impressions of childhood become more clearly do- 
fined than ever, and it is only natural that those who spent 
their early days in the environments of pioneer life should in 
after years find delight and satisfaction in calling up and re 
lating the reminiscences and experiences of that interesting 
period. It was out of such a condition of affairs that the idea 
of forming an association for the purpose of keeping in remem- 
brance the reminiscences of the pioneer days was first evolved, 
and the "Pioneer Girls' Club" was the result. It would bi; 
dithcult just now to say when or how the idea first originated. 
It was always a source of satisfaction for those who had spent 
the greater part of their early days on the frontier to meet and 
talk over their early experiences and recollections. 

It so hapjx'ned that along from 1890 to 1895 there were 
proportionately an exceptionally large number of ladies resid- 
ing in Spirit Lake who could honestly lay claim to the appelhi- 
tion of "Pioneer Girls," and in some of their inii)romptu gari. 
erings it was suggested that they form a '*Pione<M- Girls" clnl'. 



470 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

The idea became popular at once. So far as can now be ascer- 
tained, the suggestion was first made by Mrs. Ella Arnold 
Stevens, and Avas at once enthusiastically seconded by sev- 
eral, prominent among whom were Mrs. L. H, Farnham, 
Mrs. E. L. Brownell, Mrs. A. B. Funk, Mrs. E. G. Blackert, 
Mrs. H. A. Mille(i', Mrs. J. S. Everett .and many others. An 
organization was' soon effected with Mrs. Stevens as president. 

It was about 1892 when the organization began to take form 
and shape. The membership grew in numbers and the meet- 
ings in interest. The idea of an annual banquet was proposed 
and soon became decidedly popular. The largest and most im- 
portant of these annual gatherings was held at the Crandall 
House, February 12, 1894. Invitations were sent to all li 
the old settlers who could be reached, and special pains were 
taken to invite all who were children here in the pioneer days. 
There was a liberal response to these invitations and at the 
appointed hour a brilliant and "enthusiastic company had 
assembled. 

The Beacon, in writing of the affair at the time, gives it 
the following send-off: 

* * * "All of the arrangements were in excellent taste. 
The rooms were somewhat crowded, but that was no fault of 
the managers, unless the girls were to blame for having so 
many friends. The guests embraced about one hundred and 
twenty-five and each and all were made to feel very much at 
home." 

After a few preliminaries the address of welcome was given 
by Mrs. Ella Arnold Stevens, president of the association. 
The address is too long to be reproduced here, but one or two 
extracts will not be out of place. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen: I bid you welcome in the name of 
our circle, hoping that you may in a measure feel repaid for 
coming. We have taken so much pleasure in preparing for this 
banquet, that we have perhaps over-estimated its merits, and v;o 



PIONEER girls' CLUB 471 

ask of you a kindly criticism, for it has grown in maguitune 
on our hands. We first thought to entertain our husbands and 
immediate families, but we have very much enjoyed extend- 
ing our invitations until we have the present company. You 
may not all know what the Spirit Lake Pioneer Girls' Club 
means. Possibly some of the older settlers will remember a 
good many years ago (out of a delicate consideration for some 
of the members of our circle, I don't like to use figures) that 
the young people of this town had a particularly gay time. 
The young ladies were brilliant and attractive and the young 
men handsome and gallant. * * * 

''Of these larks I will let the girls with longer memories 
speak. Since that time we have been scattered in many direc- 
tions, some of us at times being separated by half a continent. 
This winter kind fate has brought many of us together again. 
In an inspired moment some one conceived the idea of form- 
ing a circle for the renewing of old times and the warming up 
of old friendships. As w-e were to meet once a week, on Thurs- 
day afternoons, we thought in justice to ourselves (and oitr 
neighbors) that we ought not to spend all our time in gossiping. 
With the double object in view of mental culture and social 
advantage, we organized a circle called the Spirit Lake Pioneer 
Girls' Club. At each meeting we very much enjoyed a little 
literary program, and out of these meetings and an ever present 
'desire to do something for mankind, has grown this banquet."' 

The foregoing extracts convey a fair idea of the entire id- 
dress which was well received and enthusiastically applauded. 
The intervals between the various exercises were occupied with 
a musical program which was much enjoyed by the lovers of 
music. After the banquet came toasts and responses, "Mrs. 
Stevens acting as toastmaster. The responses were unique and 
decidedly interesting, the most noted perhaps were those of Mrs. 
Farnham, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Brownell. The others, though 
not quite .as lengthy were equally bright, apt and original. There 
Avere some twelve or fifteen in all and it would be diffifcult to 
say which were the most deserving of notice. It is to be rf- 
gretted that none of them were preserved. The Beacon in 
writing of this part of the program had this to say: 



472 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

''The matter was exceedingly bright, ingenious and entertain- 
ing, and the delivery actually captivating. All of the speakers 
brought flowers of sentiment to this feast of soul which deeply 
stirred the company and particularly those who were part of 
the experiences of the earlier years." 

These annual banquets w^ere kept up for some years an'l 
were occasions of much genuine enjoyment, but of late the 
interest has been allowed to flag. Some have moved away, 
others have passed over the silent river, and it is more than 
probable that in the not distant future the Spirit Lake Pioneer 
Girls' Club will be but a pleasant memory of other days. Per- 
haps more space has been given to the foregoing incidents than 
their importance as historical events would seem to warrant ; 
but the time is not far distant when all will exceedingly regret 
that more of the social life of the pioneer days lias not been 
preserved and given a place in our local history. 

The Spirit Lake Chautauqua is worthy of a place in this 
history. Early in 1892 enterprising spirits installed the Spirit 
Lake Park Association. An auditorium was erected on the 
East Okoboji shore between town and the shore of Spirit Lake. 
A musical festival occupied eight days with a program of un- 
usual merit. Happening to drop off the train for .a night dur- 
ing this period and attending an evening session, E. C. Whalen, 
superintendent of the Chautauqua at Lake Madison, South 
Dakota, became impressed with the idea that here was a grand 
center for a great Chautauqua movement. He broached the 
matter to F. W, Barron, president of the Park Association, in 
whose fertile mind the idea took firm root. He talked the en- 
terprise over and found friends for it. Mr. Barron and A. T5. 
Funk made a trip to Madison to find what a Chautauqua meant 
to a community that had tried it, and tlie idea was found to be 
very popular there. Then Spirit Lake took hold and gave the 
movement a lift. The Park Association was merged into the 
Spirit Lake Cliautauqua Association. Mr. Barron was ?on- 



SPIRIT LAKE CHAUTAUQUA 473 

tinned as president and E. ('. Whnlon was made secretary an.J 
superintendent. 

Shares of stock wore offered at $100 each. Possession on- 
titled the holder and familv to free access to all Chantamiua 
privileges, and a leasehold interest in a lot in the Chautauqua 
plat. The first assembly was held in July, 1893. The World's 
Fair, the impending financial panic and a serious drouth all 
made inroads upon the attendance, but in spite of all, receipts 
were large arid stockholders and others within a range of twenty 
or thirty counties in northern Iowa and southern Minnosora 
were delighted with the excellence of platform performance 
and other privileges. Each succeeding .assembly has served tc 
fortify the Chautauqua in public esteem and confidence. Largo 
expenditures of money and of time are required)' to sustain a 
movement of this character. This one has had no money- 
making feature — that is to say, it included no opportunity 
for private gain. All receipts are dedicated to the support of 
the assemblies and the property necessary to its existence. In 
tlie earlier days a heavy debt was incurred. This was due 
to plans impractically elaborate, .and to the endeavor to su]i- 
port a high-salaried superintendent. There were three plat 
form meetings a day where two better served the popular need 
and comfort. Too much gnmnd was bought and money was 
wasted in expensive platting. But for a determined stand 0)1 
the part of men of Spirit Lake willing to make a sacrifice 
rather than have the Chautauqua go into disgraceful bank- 
ruptcy, the end would liave come right soon. The l)usiness 
men of the county responded liberally to the needs of the case. 
Thousands of dollars sul>scribed under good management so 
rednced the debt as to give the enter))rise a chance for its life. 
The program was not dwarfed, but i>ll cxjiensos were reduced 
to the niinininm. While still sonicwhut involved, the ("lian- 
tauqua is growing steadily in popnhir favor and in financial 



474 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

standing, and may be regarded as a fixture. Its influence for 
good and its highly enjoyable privileges are worthy of the en- 
couragement of all people of intelligence and character. 

The uniform excellence and high grade of the entertain- 
ments afforded by the Spirit Lake Chautauqua have always 
excited much favorable comment .among the lecturers and 
prominent visitors familiar with the Chautauqua work in 
other localities. This was particularly true of the earlier meet- 
ings. Those who were present at the first two sessions doubt- 
less recall how emphatically this point was dwelt upon by the 
first speakers. It seemed a surprise almost amounting to a 
revelation to them that in a new country so recently and 
sparsely settled, and that, too, by people of limited means, that 
a demand should have sprung up or could have been created 
or maintained that would justify the expense .and labor neces- 
sary to carry such an enterprise to a successful completion. 

Many of them expressed both surprise and delight that they 
should find here, on what was so recently the northwestern 
frontier, a community in its transition state just emerging 
from the first or pioneer stage of its existence with the faith 
.and courage requisite to the establishment and successful 
maintenance of an organization of this magnitude, devoted ex- 
clusively to literary development. One of the curious and 
characteristic features of the movement was its spontaneity, 
or, well, call it what you please. Such a movement w.as no 
part of any one's plans or schemes. But few had ever heard 
of the Chautauqua movement, and they had given it but little 
thought or study. Mr. (Whalen's visit here was purely acci- 
dental. In short, the whole movement was originally but 
the spontaneous and unpremeditated expression of the public 
feeling then existing. Looking back at the affair through the 
light of more recent conditions the only wonder is that the 



SPIRIT LAKE CHAUTAUQUA 475 

extravagance and inexperience of the earlier days didn't burv 
the enter})rise past all resurrection. 

The first program presented an aggregation of talent such as 
is seldom seen on any platform. Rev. Frank Gunsaulus, Rev. 
Joseph (^ok, Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage, Rev. Russell Con- 
well, Hon. Henry Watterson, Frank Bristol, and many others 
of national reputation occupied the platform of the Spirit 
Lake Chautauqua during that memorable first two wcM^ks of 
its existence, while the musical and miscellaneous features 
of the program were correspondingly elaborate and expensive. 
It may seem remarkable that so much more space has been 
given to Spirit Lake than can be given to the other towns of 
the county, but it must be remembered that Spirit Lake is 
emphatically the pioneer town of the county. In fact, more 
pioneer history clusters about Spirit Lake than any other 
town west of Fort Dodge and north of Sioux City. 




CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

MILFORD^ ITS LOCATION THE FIRST SETTLE- 
MENT OF MILFORD AND OKOBOJI TOWNSHIPS 

THE OLD TOWN THE FIRST HOTELS AND STORES 

EARLY ENTERTAINMENTS THE MILFORD LI- 
BRARY ASSOCIATION AMATEUR THEATRICALS 

THE MILFORD DANCING SCHOOL THE EARLY 

CHURCHES THE WORK OF REV. J. R. UPTON 

THE BUILDING OF THE RAILROAD FORCES THE 

MOVING OF THE TOWN NORTH MILFORD 

BUILDING UP THE NEW TOWN OLD BUILDINGS 

MOVED UP AND NEW ONES ERECTED. 

jHE town of Milford is tlie metropolis of the south part 
of the county and is located on the range line between 
Milford .and Okoboji townships, that being the center of 
the principal street. As has been before stated the im- 
mediate cause of building up a town at that time and place was 
the building of the Milford tlonring mill in tlu' summer oi 
1869. This event has been n(jticed at some length in the his- 
tory of the county at large. Coincident with the building of 
the mill was the settlement of ths' two townships. The first 
settler in Milford townshij) was A. I). Inman, who came in 
1866. Two or three other claims were taken either that year 
or the next, but were soon after abandoned. Tliere had been 
but three or four claims taken in the townsliip when the mill 
company made the'ir selection which was on two abandoned 
claims. During the summer of 18()',) nearly all of the vacant 
land in the township was homesteaded. Prominent among the 
settlers for that year were Andrew Blackmail, R. C. McCutchin, 
Z. Slay ton, John Allar, C. Christensen, Homer Wise, S. E. 



MILFORD 



477 



Iniiian, Iliram Ogg, G. P. Clark, H. II. Shipman, C. Tinkham, 
Eli Miller, E. Freeman, the Reeves brothers, and some others, 
a few of whom survived the grasshopper invasion, and in some 
instances the children of the old settlers still occupy the old 
homesteads of thirty-three years ago. 

Okoboji township is older, the first settlors having come as 
early as 1859. The names of the principal ones up to 1807 
have already been given; shortly after that they were reinforced 
by C. A. Arnold, Levi Knowlton, J. B. Florer, D. T. Jaynes, 
William Patten, John Matthesen, Halvor Knutesen, Sam 
Waller, Tom Barcus, Homer Calkins, Edmond :Mi]ler, L. F. 
Griswold and a few others. 

The building .and successful operation of the Milford mill 
iias already been noticed and the building up of a small town 
in the immediate vicinity was the natural consequence. The 
mill company secured a half section of land where their im- 
provements were located upon which, after completing their 
title, they laid out their pLat of the town of Milford in the sum- 
mer of 1870. Of course, the first improvements were by the 
mill company themselves and were made during the summer of 
186U. As has been before stated, the saw mill w^as started in 
Julv, the grist mill in December of that year. During the 
summer of 1870 several substantial buildings were erected, the 
most important of which were the two hotels, one by A. D. In- 
man, and the other by Case & Arnold, and the residence of T. 
S, Seymour. Inman's Hotel was so near completion that it 
was dedicated by a grand ball and dance on the fourth of 
July. 

The hotel which w,as being erected by Case & Arnold, and 
known as the Case House, was a three story affair, the ui)i)t>r 
story of which was intended for a public hall. The buildings 
were mostly of native lumber and what pine lumber was used 
in their construction was hauled from Algona, that being at 



4:78 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the time the most convenient railroad town. Both buildings 
were well toward completion by fall and were opened to the 
public as soon as possible. Their patronage came largely from 
persons coming to mill, as some half a dozen counties at that 
time depended on the Milford mill for their breadstuft's. The 
hotel proprietors soon found out that while there might be good 
business for one there was .not enough for two. The Case 
House w,as kept by Austin Case but he soon became convinced 
that there was no money in it for him as a hotel, and he got out 
of it in the best shape he could. 

Among the early incidents connected with the history of 
]\rilford many will remember the Milford dancing school. This 
was during the winter of 1870 and 1871 and was without 
doubt the first dancing school in all northwestern Iowa. 
Whether the steps practiced tended to a more graceful personal 
movement, or the manners taught and practiced were up to 
the proper standard in refined society, is an oj^en question, l)ut 
there was dead loads of fun about it and the youngsters of that 
day wont soon forget the jolly, rollicking times they had .at 
the Milford dancing school. The upper room of the Case 
House was utilized for about every purpose imaginable. A stage 
was rigged across one end of the hall and amateur theatricals 
became one of the standard entertainments of Milford pioneer 
society ; and by the way, it is very much of a question whether 
these amateur efforts have been equalled by anything since pro- 
duced. They certainly have not been excelled. 

In connection Avith the amateur theatricals it may be well to 
notice the occasion that produced them. Early in the history 
of Milford several of the prominent ladies conceived the idea 
of breaking the monotony of pioneer life by organizing a li- 
brary association. Under the intelligent leadership of ]\rrs. T. 
S. Seymour, ^Irs. II. ( '. Crary, ^frs. T. S. Foster, Mrs A. 
Case and a few others an oru'.aiiization was soon effected. The 



LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 479 

first ])roblom that pres<Mited itself for solution was the question 
of funds. After duly considering the matter it was decided to 
provide a series of entertainments among which amateur 
theatricals had a jjromincnt jdacc. These entertainments were 
phenomenally successful and were lil)er,ally patronized, thereby 
enabling the projectors to carry out their plan of procuring a 
small but well selected library of choice literature and placing 
it within the reach of all who chose to avail themselves of its 
privileges. 

The Milford Library Association is one of the pleasant 
memories of the early days of that thriving pl&ce, and 
is one of the many evidences tending to establish the claim, 
which has been heretofore commented on, that in intellectual 
development and mental culture the early settlers of this county 
Avere much in advance of what is usually expected of a pione.n* 
community. 

The old hall was also used for religious meetings in the early 
days. The first sermon preached there was by Rev. J. li. Tp- 
ton. Mr. Upton was sent to the frontier by the Home Mission- 
ary Society of the Congregational Church and for a while was 
supported by them. Perhaps a brief notice of his labors would 
be in place here as well as anywhere. Mr. U})ton was a gradu- 
ate of Amherst College and was conceded to be one of the 
finest scholars in the state. He w,as not an orator, indeed, his 
manner as a speaker was not at all prepossessing until you be- 
gan to follow his line of thought and get interested in his sub- 
ject and his manner of treating it; then it became intensely in- 
teresting. There have been many more entertaining speakers 
in this county than Mr. ITpton, but for ju-ofound scholarship 
and liberal culture he was the peer of the ablest. Xo minister 
of any denomination in this county ever took the deep interest 
in the cause of education that was always uianifcsti'd bv Mv. 
Upton. Teachers' associations and teachers' institutes he always 



480 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

attended, not as a guest to be invited to open with prayer or to 
offer a few commonplace remarks that meant nothing, but he 
M^as always a member and attended as an interested worker ,and 
one who was in part responsible for the success or failure of 
the enterprise. He was one of the early homesteaders in Excel- 
sior township, but his work extended to all parts of the county. 
After living on his homestead the time necessary to perfect his 
title, he removed to Spirit Lake but kept up his work in the 
different localities for several years until the death of his wife 
broke up his family, after which he removed to Sibley. While 
his work *^vas not showy, it left its impress on society equal to 
any one who ever labored here. 

The first school in Milford was in the summer of 1872 and 
was taught by Miss Helen Lawton, of Emmet County. She 
was succeeded the following winter by Miss Emma Gillett also 
of Emmet County. During the summer of 1873 and the fol- 
lowing winter the school was taught by Mrs. A. L. Buckland. 
Shortly after this Mrs. H. C. Crary became identified with the 
Milford school and taught several terms in succession with 
marked success. R. B. Nicol taught the last term before the 
school was moved to the new town. 

The first regular practicing physician in Milford was Doctor 
Everett, a young man of decided ability, who settled there in 
the fall of 1872, but his health failing after a few months he 
returned to his former home in Illinois, where he soon died. 
Previous to this time Dr. W. S. Beers had practiced some but 
he was in other business and did not care to practice when not 
absolutely necessary.. Dr. H. C. Crary established himself in 
Milford in the fall of 1874 and remained in practice there 
until he moved to Spencer in the fall of 1880. He was also 
superintendent of schools during this period. 

The first postoffice in Milford was established in 1869 with 
I. S. Foster as postmaster.' He was succeeded in the office the 



MILFORD IMPROVEMENTS 481 

following year by L. A. Lite], who heVl it until 1872, when he 
resigned and W. F. Carlton was appointed. He continuv'd in 
that position until the fall of 1881 when he was elected county 
auditor and moved to Spirit Lake, when Mr. Foster again took 
the office which he had vacated eleven years before, .and was 
acting in that capacity when the town was moved to its new 
location in 1882. The mail facilities at that time were a daily 
stage from Spencer to Jackson and return. The pioneer stage 
line of Bailey & Barney is well remembered by the old timers. 

The first store in the old to^vn was started by L. A. Litcl in 
the summer of 1870, he having purchased of A. D. Inman an 
old granary building which he movfed to the town site and fixed 
up as a store, and occupied it temporarily while he was erocting 
.a more commodious building into which he moved the ensuing 
fall. He remained in business there until the fall of 1871, 
when he was succeeded by Carlton Brothers, who in November, 
1871, started in with groceries and hardware. The following 
summer they put in a set of tinner's tools, the first in the county. 
In 1873 they added dry goods. 

R. A. Smith also erected a store building and started a gen- 
eral store in the fall of 1870, and remained in business there 
until January 1, 1872, when he sold out to Dr. W. S. Beers., 
who, after continuing in business there for a while, bought tli^ 
Case House and fitted up the lower room for a store, to which 
he transferred his business, where he remained until 1874. 
He then sold out to Wallace Smith and moved to Spirit Lake. 
In the meantime he had rented the old store to A. Price, of 
Lakeville, who occupied it .as a drugstore for a while, after 
which it was moved down to the lower mill. Wallace Smith 
remained in business until the spring of 1877, when he sold 
out and moved to Westport. 

In 1876 the Carlton Brothers finished off a store building 
which had been commenced bv I. S. Foster &: ( 'oni- 



482 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

pany, across the street from their first hjcation and 
moved their l)usiness into it, remaining there until 
1879, when the store was occupied by I. S. Foster & 
Company, and the Carltons occupied the building vacated by 
Wallace Smith. I. S. Foster & Company continued in tho 
business until the locating of the railroad forced the moving of 
the town, they moving with it. The first blacksmith shop in 
Milford was conducted by S. E. Inman and George 'Middleton, 
but they were in a short time succeeded by Chris Kessey. Sev- 
eral residences were built, but these cannot be noticed in detail. 

As a village the old town of Milford started in with as bright 
prospects as any new town away from railroads could desire, 
but the money panic of 1872, succeeded as it was by the four 
years of entire destruction of crops by the grasshopper raid, 
put a stop to its growth, and when they had partially recovered 
from that the location of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 
Railroad forced an entire change of location. Most of the im- 
portant buildings were moved to the new town the last but not 
least being the "old grist mill,"* which, by the way, had been 
thoroughly overhauled and entirely rebuilt and fitted up Avith 
modern machinery long before its removal. It is not at all 
probable that the mill as rebuilt on the present location con- 
tains a single piece of machinery or stick of timber that was 
originally used in its construction, l)ut it is the old mill .all the 
same and will always remain such to those who .were interested 
in starting the project and have watched its progress through 
the varying vicissitudes it was destined to pass. 

In the summer of 187-5 Ileni-y liarkmaii and \l. A. Smith 
erected a second mill on the outlet .a mile l)elow the other one. 
It was believed at that time that the outlet water power wouhl 
prove a iJermanent one and had it done so it would have been 
one of the best in the state. The work on the mill was in an 
advancetl state when tlie coiintrv w.as struck bv the memorable 



THE OKOBOJI MILL 483 

grasshoj)|)C'r raid of 187'J. To stop whore tlioy were and to go 
no farther was to lose all that had been done, while the outlook 
was not vcrv proiiiisinu- in case they went forwai-d with th<'ir 
work. This, however, they finally decided to do. Accordingly the 
work was continued and the mill put into running order in Oc- 
tober, 1873. The mill did fairly well that season as the destru'^- 
tion of crops was but partial. Had emigration remained what 
it had been for three years previous, the mill could doubtless 
have been made to pay, but instead of tliat large tracts of land 
were abandoned and in some instances whole neighborhoods al- 
most depopulated. Again, what wheat was raised during and 
.after the grasshopjjer visitation was far inferior in quality to 
that raised before. Owing to all of these adverse circumstances 
the mill never was made to pay. Mr. Barkman died in Febru- 
ary, 1878. For a w^hile after his death the administrators of his 
estate continued to operate it but it was a losing game. 

After several shifts it finally fell into the hands of 1). X. 
Guthrie, who overhauled it entirely, throwing out tlie old bulirs 
and putting in the roller system with all the modern improve- 
ments. About this time the w^ater supply failed and he was 
obliged to add an engine and power house. All of these changes 
involved heavy ex]:)ense, much greater than was at first antici- 
pated, and ]\rr. Guthrie was finally glad to dispose of it for 
much less than it cost him. As has already been no>ted the 
first railroad was built into ]\[ilford in the fall of 1S82, and 
that the location of the ro.ad forced a change in the location 
of the town. The new town a])pears on the records as X<trth 
]\rilford, although it is known throughout the county by the 
old name of Milford. The land on which the new town is lo- 
cated was purchased by John Lawler, and the town as laid out 
by him w.us surveyed and platted and the plat put on r-ccord 
August 21, 1882. 



484: DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

The first business set up in the new town was the lumber 
yards of Rasmussen Brothers. Later on they added coal and 
grain. Several new buildings were erected that fall, also sev- 
eral were moved up from the old town. One of the first of 
the new buildings erected was the Commercial Savings Bank. 
A hardware store was erected by R. M. Brigham and occu- 
pied by Snyder & Bowers. 

I. S. Foster & Company opened the first dry goods store 
in'Milford. They moved up their old store from the old town, 
\\'hich they set back from the street and used as a ware room, 
and erected a large store in front of it. J. A. Ellis erected a 
store building that fall, and in January the firm of Ellis & 
Blackert opened up a general store. There were two lumber 
yards started at about the same time, the first one as already 
stated by Rasmussen Brothers and the other by P. Staur & 
ComiDany, Charles Darrow .acting as agent and salesman. 

Chris Kessey moved his blacksmithing business up from 
the old town and was the first blacksmith. His was one of 
the first advertisements appearing in the first number of the 
Milford ]\rail, and reads as follows : 

"blacksmith shop. 
"You will find the same old man ,at the new stand, to-wit, 
namely : Chris Kessey, who has a new shop in full blast at 
the new to^\ni, and will do all kinds of blacksmithing." 

The first number of The Milford Mail was issued December 
29, 1882. J. A. Smith, formerly of the Spirit Lake Beacon, 
editor and publisher. 

C. T. Fox was the first physician to locate in the new town, 
and C. W. Hilbert was the first druggist there. Dr.. J. E. 
Green succeeded Doctor Fox as physician early the following 
spring, and about the first of June he came into possession 
of the drug business which he greatly enlarged. 



MILFORD MAIL 485 

The first agricultural warehouse iu ^filford was established 
by Bender Brothers, of Spencer, Frank Knight acting as their 
agent. They also advertised to deal in grain and stock. In 
May, George A. White established the AVhite Agricultural 
Warehouse. 

The Central House, by K. (". McCutcliin, was the first hotel, 
' and 'was soon followed by a restaurant and lunch room by Mr. . 
C. Potter. 

E. G. Hall was the first to advertise insurance. E. A. Case 
(&: Company represented real estate. The livery business was 
represented by Ira F. Hall and Hiram Davis. 

A more extended notice of the pioneer newspaper of ^lil- 
ford, the ]\Iilford Mail, is in order. As has been statiMl The 
fii-st number was dated December '2S, 1882. The paper Avas 
founded by J. A. Smith, formerly one of the proprietors of 
the Si)irit T.ake Beacon, but before the expiration of tho first 
year he sold out to R. B. Nicol, who assumed full control of 
the paper and conducted it until aliont 18s(i, wliev he sold 
out to E. G. Blackert. Mr. Blackert remained in control a 
short time, when he sold it back to ^fr. Xicol, preparatory to 
going into the Beacon with Mr. Funk. In May, 1808, George 
Shorburne and W. T. Davidson bought the outfit of Xicol and 
conducted the paper until September, 18!M», wlicn Mr. David- 
son sold his interest to E. E. Heldridge, thus forming the firm 
as it now stands. Considerable new material was from time 
to time added, and in 1901 a new cylinder press was put in 
and a few months later a gasoline engine was added, and other 
improvements have been made until now it averages up M'itli 
the best establishments of its kind. 

Mr. Sherburne has long been known as one of the ablest job 
printers in this part of the state, while Mr. Hitddridge has a 
quaint and original way of putting tilings that is decid<'illy 
"catchy," and together they are making the ^I.ail a decidedly 



486 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

readable and reliable paj^er. In March, 1901, it was enlarged 
to a six column quarto. It has been one of the official papers 
of the county since January 1, 1890. 

A second paper, the Milford Sentinel, was started by Bryant 
k Smith in 1896, but they suspended publication in May, 
1898. In the September following B. B. Nicol commenced 
the publication of the Milford Monitor, and conducted it until 
September, 1900, when the Mail bought the subscription list 
and Nicol moved the material to Fostoria and established the 
Fostoria Record. 

When the location of the town was changed in 1882, I. S. 
Foster was postmaster and remained such until 1885, when he 
was succeeded by E. A. Case, who held through Cleveland's first 
term. In 1889 he was succeeded by R. B. Nicol, who acted dur- 
ing Harrison's administration, and upon Cleveland's second 
election Austin Case w.as appointed and held until after Mc- 
Kinley's election. R. F. Price was appointed in 189Y and 
still acts in that capacity. It was constituted a presidential 
offilce in July, 1900. 

The Comnun-cial Savings Bank of Milford was another of 
the early institutions of the town, it having been founded in 
1882. Of course .at first the capital was small and the busi- 
ness light, but it has grown with the growth of the country 
until it is recognized as one of the safe and solid financial in- 
stitutions of the county. It has recently been changed to the 
First National Bank of Milford. A second bank, the Milford 
Savings Bank, was started about 1897 and is also doing a 
good business. 

The independent school district of Milford was formed from 
territory situated part in Milford and part in Okoboji town- 
ships, and one schoolhouse from each township was moved into 
town and the two were made to do duty for school purposes 
until 1888, when the old buildings were sold and a more modern 



CHURCHES 487 

structure erected iu their place. This huihliu''- was (k'stroyed 
by fire in 1891, but was soon, replaced by another one built 
from the same plan as the original. 

At the time the business of Milford was moved from the 
old town, Rev. H. L. Smith, of the M. E. Church, had charge 
of the circuit, and, therefore, was the first Methodist preacher 
in the new town. His appointments were: Preaching at the 
Bennett Schoolhouse at 10 :30 o'clock A. M., at the Pillsbury 
Schoolhouse at 3 o'clock P. M., and at Milford at 6:30 P. 
M. Alternate Sundays: Preaching at the Westport School- 
house at 10:30 A. M., at the Davis Schoolhouse at 3:00 P. M., 
and at Milford at 6 :30 P. M. The Sabbath school at this time 
was a union Sabbath school, A. K. Purneaure, superintendent. 

The Methodists were the first to erect a church building in 
Milford. The preliminary steps were taken early in the spring. 
A building committee was appointed of which B. F. Wood was 
president; 'N. Mowers, treasurer, and TI. L. Smith, secretary. 
The church had so far reached completion that it was dedi- 
cated October 28, 1883. In writing of that event the ^Milford 
Mail of November second says : 

"Presiding Elder Gleason and Revs. Mitchell, Keister .and 
Smith were in attendance, but the active })art of the service 
devolved upon Rev. J. T. Crippen, of ]\rason City, who came 
by special request for that purpose and he acquitted himself 
well." 

Mr. Smith was succeeded in 1883 by Rev. M. Keister, who 
was in charge two years when he was in turn succeeded by Rev. 
— King, who remained but one year. In 1801 Rev. Shoemaker 
w'as appointed to the charge and remained three years, and 
was sucoeded by Rev. Pendell, who remained but one year, 
and was succeeded by F. L. Moore, who remained three years, 
and he was in turn succeeded by Rev. Fegtly, who remained on 
the circuit two vears and was succeeded in 1!>00 bv Rev. Ilath- 



488 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

away, who remained but six months, and was succeeded the 
following spring by Rev. E,. H. Eeidy, the present pastor. 

During the summer of 1901 improvements to the amount of 
$4,000 were made on the church building, thus making it one 
of the most attractive church buildings in the county. A flour- 
ishing Sabbath school has been maintained from the first ; also 
an active branch of the Epworth League .and all of the acces- 
sories of a live and vigorous organization. 

The work of Rev. J. R. Upton for the Congregationalists 
has already been referred to. His work \vas largely prelim- 
inary and consisted principally in organizing and getting into 
working order societies in different localities. He organized 
a society in Milford as early as 1872, and held services there 
as often as possible without neglecting other duties. In June, 
1883, the Milford church made provision for stated services 
by engaging as pastor Rev. T. ;W. McHoes, who divided his 
time between Milford and Lakeville. Indeed, up to this time 
and until 1888, Milford and Lakeville were united in one so- 
ciety, the services alternating between the two places. For a 
few years the interest flagged. It was hard times. The mem- 
bership was small and as before stated the Home Missionary 
Society withdrew its support. This was about the time tliar 
the church at Spirit Lake disbanded and its members went 
to the Presbyterians. 

In 1888 the Home Missionary Society sent another minister 
to this county in the person of Rev. ]^. L. Burton. Through 
his active efforts a reorganization was effected, this tiiiic .^lil- 
ford and Lakeville organizing separately. Prominent among 
the Milford members were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tinkham, 
Mrs, T. S. Seymour, Mrs. Wilkinson, Mrs. 'W. A. Cook, Mrs. 
C. A. J>uiiker, and perhai)s a few others. New members canio 
in quite rapidly, and the society was soon in a flourishing con- 
dition. ^Ir. Ijiii'ioii was succeeded by Rev. H. E. Skinner, 



CHURCHES 489 

also an agent for the Home Missionary Society. Tlio tirst 
tresident pastor was Rev. L. E.'. Fitch, who came in 1890. Mr. 
Fitch was succeeded by Rev. Arthur Weatherly, who remained 
several years. After ^Ir. (Weatherly the pulpit was occupied 
one year hy Rev. — G.ardner, a Freewill Baptist minister. He 
was succeeded by Rev. R. L. (Webber, who remained one year, 
and in turn was succeeded by Rev. H. H. Burch, who remained 
about two years, and was succeeded in 'May, 1001, by Rev. W. 
G. Johnston, the present pastor. 

The preliminary steps for erecting a church building were 
taken in ISDO. The Home Missionary Society contributed 
four hundred dollars and the balance was provided by the resi- 
dent members. Work commenced in 1890, and the church was 
dedicated in 1891. Up to about 1898 the church received some 
aid from the Home Missionary Society in paying its pastors. 
Since that time they have relied entirely on themselves. In 
1901 a spacious addition was erected at an expense of $1,000. 
A live Sabbath school and an active Christian Endeavor So- 
ciety are maintained. 

The first Baptist Church in .Milford was organized in the 
summer of 1882, by a voluntary movement on the part of a few 
citizens of the town, ])r<»uiinent among whom were Mr. and 
Mrs. Roswell Osborn, and A. K. Turneaure. The meeting for 
that purpose was held in the schoolhouse in the old town pre- 
vious to its being moved. Rev. Braistead was the first preacher. 
He lived at Spirit Lake and divided his labors betw'een the 
two places. He was succeeded by Rev. Andrews. The first 
resident pastor was Rjev. J. E. Mcintosh, who came in the 
spring of 1891 and remained two years, when he was succeeded 
by Rev. T. E. S. Lapham. Since that time the church has 
been supplied by RJev. C. S. Sloan and C. W. Harvey. The 
first steps toward erecting a dmrcli I)nil(ling were taken in 



4:90 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

1891, and the church was completed and dedicated that fall, 
Rev. J. E. Mcintosh preaching the dedicatory sermon. 

There has always been quite a large per cent of Scandina- 
vians and people of Scandinavian descent in and around Mil- 
ford. As usual they nearly all lean towards the Lutheran 
faith. The Lutherans are ahvays strict observers of the ordi- 
nances and requirements of their church, and as a matter of 
course early adopted such measures as their means enabled 
them to plant ,and foster their own religious ideas. At first 
this consisted of ministers of that denomination visiting a com- 
munity and establishing a neighborhood school at the residence 
of some settler for the purpose of imparting such instruction 
as all were expected to become proficient in before being con- 
firmed in the church. The work was conducted in this manner 
until the summer of 1890, when they erected a commodious 
church building in the south part of Okoboji township. One 
of the principal promoters of this enterprise was G. Matthe- 
sen, who was with the first Scandinavians that settli'il in th • 
county, coming as early .as 1858. 

The Catholics also were early represented in Milford. At 
the first most of the Catholic population instead of residing in 
town were scattered out on the prairie in all directions. The 
first services were held at the house of Daniel Ryan, some two 
or three miles southeast of Milford, some time in the summer 
of 1884 by Father Xorton, who was then located at Spirit 
Lake and had charge of the Spirit Lake and Spencer work. 
The meetings were first held at the homes of the settlers and 
afterwards either in the schoolhouse or in the hall over J. A. 
Ellis' store. Father ISTorton was succeeded by Father Carroll 
also of Spencer about 1885 or 1886, who was in turn succeeded 
by Father McCauley. The preliminary steps for erecting a 
church building were taken in 1887 and 1888, and in 1880 a 
plain but commodious structure was erected. Among the most 



CIVIC SOCIETIES 491 

earnest workers in this enterprise were Daniel Ryan, the Mc- 
Guires .and a few others. The membership is nearly evenly 
divided between the Irish and the German Catholics, and when 
it came to selecting a name for the new church considerable 
good-natured rivalry existed as to which side should have the 
honor of furnishing the name, but the Irish won and the 
church is known as St. Patrick's church. The priests since 
Father McCauley's time have been Father Tierney and Father 
Kirby. Milford is attached to the Spencer parish or rather the 
same priest ministers to both places. 

The different civic societies represented in Milford are the 
Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen and Yeo- 
men. Gloaming lodge No. 482, A. F. & A. M., was first organ- 
ized under a dispensation granted by the Grand Lodge of Iowa 
July 7, 1886. The first officers were: A. Case, W. M. ; C. 
Stuart, S. W. ; Frank ]\rcDonald, J. W. ; T. S. Seymour, Treas- 
urer; H. B. Ivicol, Secretary. A charter was granted June 3, 
1887. The first officers under the charter were A. Case, W. M. ; 
B. Pitcher, S. W. ; W. B. Jones, J. W. ; W. A. Meek, Treasurer, 
and B. B. Nicol, Secretary. The number of charter members 
was seventeen. Since that time the office of ,W. M. has been held 
by B. Pitcher, T. P. Barringer, W. F. Pillsbury, J. L. Bas- 
comb and Q. C. Fuller. The present membership is fifty- 
seven. The present officers are: Q. C FuUei, W. 
M. ; S. (). Pillsbury, S. W. : H. S. Abbott, J. W. ; W. F. Pills- 
bury, Treasurer; S. A. Winey, Secretary; E. E. Heldridge, S. 
D. ; F. A. Heldridge, J. D. ; A. Case, Tyler. Total number 
of members since the lodge was organized eighty-nine. Xum- 
ber of deaths in the lodge, three. 

In connection with the Masonic lodge a chapter of the Order 
of the E.astern Star was organized in 1805. The first officers 
were R. F. Price, W. P.; IMrs. W. II. II. Myers, W. M. ; 
i^frs. E. F. Miller, A. M., and Mrs. E. A. Case, Secretary. The 



492 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

position of W. M. has since been held by Mrs. E. F. Miller, 
Mrs. C. A. West, Mrs. A. Case and Mrs. Dr. Coldren is elected 
for 1902. The officers for the current year are J. L. Bas- 
comb, W. P. ; Mrs. Dr. Coldren, W. M. ; Mrs. E. F. Miller, A. 
M. ; Mrs. J. L. Pitcher, Secretary ; Mrs. A. Case, Treasurer ; 
Miss jSTellie Pillsbury, Conductor, and Mrs. R. F. Price, As- 
sociate Conductor. The membership at the present time is not 
far from fifty, and the affairs of the chapter are in a very 
flourishing and satisfactory condition. 

Monitor Lodge, No. 491, 1. O. O. F., was organized in April, 
1886. The Past Grands up to the present time have bden : 
F. II. Bunker, E. G. Hall, AV. E. Hall, G. A. (3'Farrell, 11. 
B. Nicol, S. A. iWolf, C. E. Blackert, Matt Weiser. The 
present officers are : Valentine Koasch, iST. G. ; S. A. AVolf , Sec- 
retary. The total membership at the present time is not far 
from fifty. 

Wallar Post, No. 223, G. A. R., was organized September 
13, 1883. It was the first civic society in Milford. The char- 
ter members were: R. B. jSTicol, Daniel Bennott, James Held- 
ridge, Thompson Emerson, A. D. Inman, William Chase, 
Horace Bennett, Charles A. Darrow, R. R. Wilcox, D. H. Cole 
and Ira Foster. In all sixty-five names appear on the records 
as having been members at some period. The present mem- 
bership is not far from twenty-five. The G. A. R. differs from 
all other societies in this : When an old member is "mustered 
out" there are no young ones to fill their place. The position 
of Commander has been filled by William Chase, H. H. Ship- 
man, Zina Henderson, A. D. Inin.aii, -lames Heldridge, R. R. 
Wilcox, R. B. Nicol, W. H. H. Myers, and Daniel Mead. A 
more than ordinary degree of interest has always been mani- 
fested by the members of this post. In connection with it is an 
active Women's Relief Corps, and a feeling of comradeship is 



CIVIC SOCIETIES 493 

cultivated and oiicniiraiicd that is a loiiii- way in advance of 
many other organizations. 

Okoboji Lodge, No. 429, Knights of Pythias, was organized 
in May, 1895. Thv' first officers were: C. H. Perry, Chan- 
cellor; C. A. "West, Vice-chancellor; H. S.- Abbott, Clerk; E. 
A. Case, M. of W. ; James McElroy, M. of E. ; L. C. Miller, 
^[. of F. ; George Paton, Keeper of Records and Seals. Chan- 
cellors since the first have been C. A. AVest, R. F. Price, A. 
n. ^[eCutchin, R. F. Livingston, Q. C. Fuller and George 
Paton. There were about thirty charter members and the mem- 
bership does not vary much from that now. 

Live Oak Camp, No. 2567, Modern Woodmen of America, 
was first organized in 1892 with fifteen charter members. The 
officers were D. L, Van Hoiisen, V.-C. ; L. H. Miller, W. A. ; 
J. J. Lee, Banker ; C. II. Perry, Clerk. The office of Venerable 
Consul has since been held by C. E. Blount and J. D. Green. 
The present membership is about sixty-two. 

"Goldenrod" Homestead, Xo. 250, Brotherhood of American 
Yeomen, was organized in March, 1899, and the first officers 
were: C. E. Blackert, Foreman; Mrs. C. M. Coldren, Master 
of Ceremonies ; H. H. Burch, Physician ; G. M, Sherburne, 
Master of Accounts; W. A. May, Overseer; Mrs. Alice O'Far- 
rell. Lady Rebecca ; Mrs. Jennie E. Price, Lady Rowona ; R. 
F. Price, Correspondent ; Mrs. May Hemphill, Guard, and 
William Paton, Watchman. There were thirty-two charter 
members and the present membership is about thirty-six. The 
lodge is in a healthy and flourishing condition. 

Milford was incorporated June 11, 1892. The first officers 
were: W. F. Pillsburv, Mayor, and II. J. Xorheim, Recorder. 
The Councilmen were William Chase, J. A. Ellis, C. A. West, 
R. C. McCutchin, Andrew Davidson and G. A. O'Farrell. The 
Mayors since that time have been C. A. West, II. R. Lund and 
R. M. Cowham. The present officers are R. M. Cowham, Mayor, 



494 DICKINSON COUNXr - IOWA 

and George Paton, Recorder. The Coiincilmen are, W. H. 
Myers, C. E. Ulrich, Val Rausch, C. Tortensen, D. L. Van 
Hoiisen, W. F. Pillsbury. The population, as shown by the 
census of 1900, is 485. It is claimed by many that this is ma- 
terially less than the correct number. jSTow this may on may 
not be true. The large aggregate of business transacted, the 
number of churches and societies maintained and the large 
number of neat and tasty residences that surround the tow.n 
on all sides would seem to justify this claim. At any rate, it 
is an uncontrovertible fact that for a town of its reported popu- 
lation, Milford has an unusually large number of pleasant resi- 
dences. The town never had a boom and has no imposing 
structures. It has been built up wholly by men who com- 
menced in a small way and have grown up with it. It has no 
particularly wealthy men to whom the people can turn in an 
emergency and expect an advance of a few thousands to hel]! 
them out, and perhaps it is just as Avell. 

It might be interesting to give more attention to the present 
business .and business interests of thei town, but lack of space 
prevents. If tliis were done in one instance, it would neces- 
sarily follow that it should be done in all, and tha(t' not only 
the changes and improvements in the towns, but in the country 
as well should all be noticed in detail, and this is clearly im- 
possible. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



LAKE PARK^ SUPERIOR AND TERRILL SILVER 

LAKE TOWNSHIP, A LITTLE OF ITS EARLY HISTORY 

THE EARLY SCHOOLS THE FIRST POSTOFFICE 

EARLY RELIGIOUS iMEETIXGS THE COMING OF 

THE RAILROAD THE TOWN OF LAKE PARK THE 

FIRST BUSINESS HOUSES AND ENTERPRISES THE 

LAKE PARK NEWS CHURCHES CIVIC SOCIETIES 

- — POSTOFFICE INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN 

MAYORS PRESENT OFFICERS SUPERIOR THE 

TOWN STARTED KY THE RAILROAD COMPANY 

FIRST POSTOFFICE- — THE FIRST BUSINESS VEN- 
TURES POSTOFFICE INCORPORATION OFFI- 
CERS THE DESTRUCTIVE FIRE OF 1897 TERRILL 

carpenter's wild RAILROiVD SCHEME THE 

MINNEAPOLIS & SAINT LOUIS ROAD THE TOWN 

SCHOOL AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT OF A 

LIVE TOWN. 

AKE PABK is situated on tlio northeast shore of Silver 
Lake, in Silver Lake township. The building of the 
Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Xorthern Railroad in 1882 
stimulated the building of several towns along the line, 
and Lake Park was one of the principal ones. The first settle- 
ment in Silver Lake township was made in August, 1868, by 
George Nicholson, who took the first homestead in that locality. 
He homesteaded some fractional forties on the southeast side of 
the lake. He took his claim in August, and then went back east 
for his family. Upon his return in the fall he was accompanied 
by a young man by tlie name of Andrew Cloud, Avho took a claim 
on the north side, on what afterwards Ijocanie tlic home of C. 




496 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

B. Knox. The next year, or in 1869, Cloud sold or disposed 
of bis claim to C. B. Knox. The price paid for claims, even 
the best, was not enough to make a man vain of his wealth. 
Other settlers for that year were John Ding^vall and James 
Acheson, and one or two others, who remained but a short time. 
In 1870 the settlement was increased by the arrival of Alex- 
ander Robertson with a large family, and John Dickerson. 

In 1871 Nicholson sold out to J. B. Drew. Robert Fletcher 
and C. Lewis also came in 1871, and John K. Robertson, and 
possibly one or two others, in 1872. In the Drew or ISTichol- 
son Grove there were at the time of the arrival of the first 
white settlers, the original tepee-poles left standing in place 
sufficient for spreading some six or seven tepees. Now, while 
the Indians in moving about the country' took enough poles 
with them to set up a temporary camp wherever they happened 
to be, they did not take enough along for a very elaborate 
affair, but at many of the desirable camping places about the 
lakes and on the streams they had tepee-poles set up which they 
left permanently in place, so that on arrival at any of these 
permanent camping places, all they would have to do would be 
to spread their tepees on the framework of poles already in 
place. There were several of these perm.anent camps found by 
the first settlers in 1857. One on the southeast of Loon Lake, 
one in Marble Grove west of Spirit Lake, one in Okoboji 
Grove near the old site of the Mattock cabin, one in the grove 
south of Miller's Bay, and, as before stated, one in the Drew 
or Nicholson Grove, southeast of Silver Lake. At each of these 
several places there were poles set up for spreading froin six 
to nine tepees. 

After the Indians left and before the white settlers came, 
Silver Lake was a favorite camping ground for trappers. Every 
little grove of native timber in northwestern Iowa or south- 
western Minnesota has at some time or another been the head- 



498 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

quarters of some trapping outfit. In addition to those who 
made trapping a regular business, most of the settlers had more 
or less traps which they tended at the ])roper season, and the 
fur taken proved an important factor in tiding over many a 
family of the early pioneers Until such times as the original 
claim could Ix* converted into a farm and made to produce suf- 
.ficient for the family support. 

Silver Lake was originally attaclied to Lakeville township 
and was set apart from it in 1872. The first school in the town- 
ship was before it was so set off, or at least before the new or- 
ganization was completed. The first teacher was Miss Louise 
Middleton of Lakeville, who was employed by the Lakeville 
school officers. The first term w.as in the hpu?e of C B. Knox. 
His house was a one room affair, possibly about sixteen by 
twenty feet, and one story high, which had to answer for kitch- 
en, living room and school room alternately. In addition to 
this, room was always found for any l)en.ight:Hl traveler or way- 
farer who might ]jut in an appearance. Tliis was before the 
days of tramps and hoboes. Xo cal)in was so small that the 
owner would or could l)c justified in refusing' to entertain a 
worthy stranger- — 

"Gui(hince and rest and food and fire 
In vain lie never must require." 

The second term of school was taught liy tlie same teaclier 
in the residence of John Dingwall nndei- similar conditions. 

One of the first enterprises to receive attention after the town 
W.SS set off and a separate oriranization effected, was the build- 
ing of a new schoolhouse. The first schoolhouae was built in 
187-3 oi)posite tlie northeast corner of the lake as soon as pos- 
sible after the organization of the district was completed. This 
was known as the Knox Schoolhouse. A second one w,as built 
the following year at the southwest corner of the lake and 



EARLY INCIDENTS 499 

known as the ])ing\vall Sclnntllionse. Those seh<»ulhuiises wero 
built in good substantial styh» and supplied with iirst-class fur- 
niture and apparatus. K. B. Xieol taught the first term of 
school in each of these houses, the first one being in the Knox 
Sehoolhouse in the winter of 187*) and 1874, and the second 
one being in the Dingwall Sehoolhouse the succeeding winter. 

After getting things into running order, they adopted the 
plan of having school in but one of the schoolhouses at a time, 
that is, thev would have a terml of school first in one school- 
house and then in the other, and those residing in the neighbor- 
hood wliere the school ^vas not in session alwayS! sent a team 
with their j)n})ils across to the otiier sehoolhouse. In this way 
a more regular attendance w'as obtained and they were enabled 
to secure the most com]ietent teachers. Indeed, so far as school 
matters are concerned, Silver Lake has ever been one of the 
most lil)eral and progressive townships in the county. They 
always eni])loyed the- most competent teachers to be had. They 
paid the highest wages and furnished the most imjjroved facili- 
ties of any in the county, and in a general way took a ivorc ac- 
tive interest in scliool matters than is usual in a new country. 
The })lan which they first .adopted was followed about ten years, 
or until the ])nil(ling of tlie railroad so changed conditi.)iis that 
i" new deal was in order. 

The fii*st census in which the pojjulation of Silver Lake was 
reported separately w^as that of 187-'J. in that report the popu- 
lation is given as sixty-seven, and in 1875 as fifty-nine, and in 
1880 as forty-five. From 187'"} to 1877 inclusive were the 
grassliopper years, which accounts for the growth being the 
Avrong way. After the grasshoppers left it w.as some years be- 
fore people in search of a location would favorably entertain 
the idea of settling in a country so rcccMtly ra\ag('(l by tQie 
pests. This accounts for the alow devclopniciit of the county 
I'lluring the five years subscipiciit to tlicir ilis;ip|)c.arance. 



500 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




SCHOOLHOUSE LAKE PARK. 



A j)ostoffice was established in 1872, C. B. Knox, postmaster. 
The name of the office was Anstin. Why that name was adopt- 
ed does not appear. Two mail routes had been established a 
short time before, one from Spirit Lake to Sibley and the 
other from Spirit Lake to Worthington. The Austin mail was 
carried over both of these lines, they following the same route 
as far as Silver Lake, when they separated, one going to Sib- 
ley and the other to Worthington. Tlie mail was carried weekly 
over each route, one trip being made in the early part of the 
week and the other in the latter part. 

The first religious services in the township were conducted 
by Eev. J. E. Upton, in 1870 or 1871. Mr. Upton's work at 
Milford, Lakeville and Spirit Lake has been noticed at some 
length. About the same time Rev. G. Brown, of the M. E. 
Church, held one or two services at the residence of J. B. Drew. 
D. W. Lounsberry, an early settler, held services here pretty 
regularly for three or four years, though not employed or sent 
here by anv denomination. After the first schoolhouse was 



EARLY BUSINESS VENTURES 



501 



built in 1873, tlic moetings wore for tlie most part held there. 
Before that time they were held at the homes of the few set- 
tlers. Rev. J. B. Edmunds, who originally had a homestead 
on a portion of rlio Willow Spring farm, held services there 
for some time. Xone of these early services were maintained 
by any of the established clnirches, but were the result of ar- 
rangements between the settlers and the several preachers. 

The Burlington, Cedar Rapids »S: i^orthern Railroad was 
extended west from Spirit Lake in the summer and fall of 1882. 
The site selected for the new town was a portion of sectioii 
27, township 100, range 38. Dr. Henry Shinier of Mt. Car- 
roll, Illinois, was the original proprietor. The plat was filed 
for record August 18, 1882. The first building on the tovm 
site was a general store by jWilliam Thompson. Some of the 
first business ventures were as follows : Armin k Riley were 
the first in the grain and lumber business, they having started 
in 1882. In 1887 they sold their business to Stockdale & 
Bahls, who materially enlarged it and added live stock" as well. 
They had previously been in the grain business, having built 




THK riONEKK HOTEL OK I.AKK I'AKK. 



502 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the first elevator in 1884. Harvey & Truesdale started a hard- 
ware store about the same time, while W. S. Bowles put up 
and operated the first blacksmith shop in the tow^n. The pio- 
neer hotel was built by Anthony Arnold and was conducted by 
him up to 1888, when he sold out to IMajor E. P. Ring, who 
improved it and conducted it for several years. Mr. Ring also 
in connection with the hotel, condticted the first livery barn 
in the place. 

The first phvsician to hang out his shingle was Dr. Beebe 
in 1885, and the first drugstore was started a year or two later 
by Dr. C. E. Everett, formerly of Spirit Lake. 

S. Benson put in the first restaurant in Lake Park, and after- 
wards he put in a stock of dry goods and was succeeded in tho 
dry goods business in 1887 by Strathman & Bock. The first 
real estate and insurance man was S. M. Thomas. L. Stolten- 
berg Avas the first to handle farm machinery, he having started 
in that business as early as 1885. Indeed, most of the branch- 
es of the business represented in tovm were started about that 
time, many of them in a small way and might now he consid- 
ered insignificant, but all the same they were the pioneer 
movements in building up the town. 

The first butcher shop was started by John Hunt in 1888. 
Ole Knutesen was the first shoemaker. At first he worked in 
tlie back part of Thompson's store, but put up a building of his 
f)wn in 1886. The first furniture store was by J. T. Benson 
in 1890, and the first harness shop was by Elmer Buffum in 
1891. He was succeeded by D. C. May, who erected one of the 
first three brick buildings in town. Tlie first barber in town 
was Frank Dunbar. The first man to engage in the business 
ipf baling and shipping hay was H. H. Kitts. 

As time passed there came a demand for larger and better 
buildings and better business facilities. In 1888 Koester & 
Company erected a store and put in a stock of goods that was 



504 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

considered a long way ahead of anything before attempted. 
Theodore Strathman. one of the members of the firm, was gen- 
eral manager of the concern. 

In 1885 Mr. C. P. Bennett purchased several tracts of land 
on the south and southeast of Silver Lake with the object in 
view of rearing fine stock. In building up his extensive im- 
provements, his aim all of the time has been to have everything 
first-class. Ample means has enabled him to indulge this pro- 
pensity to its fullest extent. In stocking his farm the same rule 
has been observed, until his herd of Hereford cattle are known 
among stock raisers and dealers as one of the finest in the mid- 
dle west. ^Iv. Bennett has been a mascott to Lake Park in 
more ways than one. 

Every live town is supposed to have ,a live newspaper, and 
Lake Park is certainly no exception to this rule. The Lake 
Park Xews was established in 1800 by A. B. Chrysler, the first 
number appearing Friday, September first, of that yeai'. The 
first issue was about three hundred copies It was uphill busi- 
ness getting out the early nirmbers of the News. Mr. Chrys- 
ler had never worked in a printing office a day in his life and 
knew absolutely nothing of the proper disposition and arrange- 
ment of the furniture .and fixtures of a printing oflice, and yet, 
upon the arrival of his material, he tackled the job and with no 
assistant but his daughter, a bright girl of twelve, by dint of 
feeling his way along and by numerous experiments, he finally 
succeeded in getting things in working order. The only error 
made, .as was afterwards shown, was that some of the cases of 
type were placed wrong side to. In the composition and press- 
work, and, in fact, in everything connected with the getting 
out of the earlier numbers, it was cut and try and feel their 
way along until they had things as near right as they could get 
them, and then tv\m to luck for results. 



CHURCHES AND CIVIC SOCIETIES 505 

Among educators, a favorite motto is: "Learn to do by 
doing." Well, this is the way Chrysler learned the printing 
business. It is related that on one occasion Mr. Chrysler was un- 
expectedly called away, leaving the office in charge of his daugh- 
ter, who, nothing daunted, tackled the job of getting the paper 
out on time, which she succeeded in doing, and by the way, 
some people declare it was one of the brightest numbers ever 
issued. They started in working off three hundred copies and 
have increased the number until now it requires seven hun- 
dred. In 1897, J. D. Flint and H. C. Harland purchased the 
outfit and conducted the paper a little less than two years, 
when they turned it back to its first owmer. The ]^ews was one 
of the official papers of the county from 1801 to 1896. 

The pioneer schools of the township have already been no- 
ticed quite extensively. After the starting of the town in 
1882, the old Knox Schoolhouse was made to do duty for a year 
or tw'o, w^hen more room was needed. In 1884 a new two room 
building was erected, but this soon proving too small, two more 
rooms were added. Five teachers are employed and tlie old 
time interest maintained. 

Th religious denominations represented in Lake Park are 
the Methodists, the Presbyterians and the Catholics. The 
early religious services were decidedly cosmopolitan and it 
was not until about 1883 that denominational lines were drawn 
to any appreciable extent. In that year the Methodist Epis- 
coi:)al Church established the Lake Park circuit, which was 
placed in charge of Rev. Hild. Since that time the appoint- 
ments on the circuit have been Reverends Cheney, Kieister, 
Woolery, Olds, G. W. Barnes, J. C. Clearwater, — — 
Shoemaker and W. H. Prugh. The Methodists were also the 
first to erect a church building in town, their church having 
been erected in 18!M. 'riic ])vesent iiiciiilx'i-sliip is about one 
hundred and ten. An enthusiastic Sabbath school and an 



506 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




M. E. CHURCH. 
The first Church Building in Lake Park. 

active branch of the Epworth League are maintained, and 
ever^'thing pertaining to the chitrch is in a prosperous condi- 
tion. 

The preliminary steps for organizing a Presbyterian Church 
were taken early in 1893 and ,an organization effected the same 
year. Through the active efforts of Hevcrend Clapp, and the 
hearty co-ojx'ration of resident members, the society was soon 
in a prosperous condition. They started in with eight members 
and from this the membership has increased until now the 
number is about forty. A neat .and commodious church build- 
ing Avas erected in 1895 and Doctor Bailey preached the dedi- 
catory sermon. Previous to this time the meetings were first 



CHURCHES AND CIVIC SOCIETIES 507 

held in the schoolhouse and later on in a hall over the hlack- 
smith shop. The resident Presbyterian ministers have been 
Rev. ^l. T. Ramer, Rev. — Valier, R^v. Joseph Ma^K^son 
and Rev. F. E. IToyt. An active Sabbath soljool has been 
maintained from the start and also Christian Endeavor and 
Christian Endeavor Junior societies liave prospered.' 

The civic societies represented are the Masons, Odd Fellows, 
A. O. TJ. W. and the Modern Woodmen. Silver Lake Lodge, 
Xo. 527, A. F. «& A. M., was organized under dispe;nsation, 
April 15, 1803 They received their charter in August of the 
same year. The first officers were: Theodore Strathman, (W. 
:\r. ; John Linder, S. W. ; Frank BuiTum, J. W. ; John Buffnm, 
Treasurer ; J. ^L Buffum, Secretary ; G. A. Triggs, S. D. ; W. 
W. Harris, J. D. ; A. A. Kingsley, S. S. ; J. W. C. Salyard, 
J. S. ; J. M. Dunlap, Tyler. Masters since that time have been 
Theo. Strathman and D. C. May. The present elective officers 
are : Theo. Strathman, (W. M. ; G. A. Triggs, S. W. ; Jacob 
Graham, J. W. ; E. F. Xye, Treasurer; 1). C. May, Secretary. 

Lodge Xo. — , I. O. O. F., w.as organized in October, 1895. 
The first officers were : W. B. Higbee, X. G. ; M. D . Green, 
V.-G. ; C. W. Flint, Secretary, and H. F. Asmessin, Treasurer. 
Since the first organization the X. G.'s have been M. D. Green, 
C. !W. Flint, C. Hayden, F. L. Ackerman, H. G. Flint, H. 
Bock, W. Wright, G. W. Burrows and Edward Hudson. The 
lodge was at first organized with seven members but bad thirty 
one initiations at the first meeting. The present officers are: 
E. Hudson, X. G. ; C. S. Shultz, YAi. ; Otto Schmeoser, Re- 
cording Secretarv ; Edw.ard Bnfi^um, Financial Secretarv : H. 
L. Asmessin, Treasurer. The present membership is about 
eighty. A Rebecca lodge of alx)Ut fifty-six members was organ- 
ized near the close of the year 1801> and has been ve-ry flourish- 
ing from the start. 



508 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 








STATE SAVINGS BANK, 
Tlio first Brick Buildinj; erected in Lake Park, 

A lodge of the Ancient Order of United Workmen was or- 
ganized in the nineties, but not being well supported was 
allowed to lapse until in February, 11)00, .a reorganization was 
effected and officers chosen as follows : IT. C. Knox, M. W. ; 
G. A. Stoufft^r, P. M. W. ; G. W. Palmer, Pocorder and Finan- 



CHURCHES AND CIVIC SOCIETIES 509 

cier. Since the first the Master fWorkmen have been, August 
Kruger and C. W. Turk. Present membership is about twenty- 

V cunp of American Yeomen was organized some time in 
1897. The first officers were: iW. B. Higbee, Foreman and 
J G Chrysler, Correspondent. For some reason the lodge 
meetings have not l>een kept up of late, but a few of the promi- 
nent members are keeping up the reports and grand lodge dues 
iu order that the organization may not lapse and the charter 
be forfeit^'d. The present membership is about twenty-seven. 

The first banking institution in Lake Fark was the private 
banking house of Green & Patch, which commenced business 
in 1889. One year later they organized as the Lake Park State 
Savings Bank,"^ with John W. Cravens, President, and ^L V. 
Green, Cashier. The State Savings Bank was the first brick 
building erected in Lake Park. The i^resent officers are John 
W. Cravens, President, and A. C. Kobertson, Cashier. A few 
vears later a second bank, the German Savings Bank, was or- 
ganized, with Louis Stoltenberg, President, Theo. Bahls, Vice- 
President, and Theodore Strathman, Cashier. 

About 1882 the name of the postoffice was changed from Au.-- 
tin to Lake Park and (William Thompson appointed post- 
master. At the time of Cleveland's second election, he was 
succeeded by Ira Breffle, who in turn was succeeded by A. B. 

Chrysler. 

•The town of Lake Park was incorporated in August, 1892. 
The first officers were: Mayor, John Buffum; Recorder, 
Theodore Strathman; Councilmen, H. H. llohlf, D. C. May, 
E. P. Ring, F. W. Tutin, John Linder, William Patterson. 
The mayor's office has since been held by A. B. Chrysler, G. 
W. Burrows, C. S. Shultz, W. F. King, James Patterson, 
Theodore Stratliman .and L. Benson. The present officers ai-e : 
Mayor, L. Benson ; Recorder, August Sindt ; and Councilmen, 



510 DICKINSON COUNTY - lOAVA 

W. S. Wright, S. W. Breffle, Joliu Linder, M. D. Green, J. G. 
Chrysler and H. C. Meyers. The jjopulation of the town ac- 
cord ine; to the censns of 1900 was 541, which was an increase 
of about 150 from that of five years before. 

The fact has already been mentioned that at the time of the 
building of the Burlington, Cedar Kapids & Northern Rail- 
road, the question of voting subsidy to aid in its construction 
was submitted to the voters of Superior township and the 
proposition was defeated, but later on, upon the railway prom- 
ising to build and maintain a station within the township, the 
former action was reconsidered, and on the question being sub- 
mitted a second time, w^as carried by a good majority. The 
railroad was built through the township in the spring of 1882 
and a depot built the ensuing year ; Frank Taylor, station 
agent. This same year W. S. Gardner purchased the quarter 
section adjoining the town site on the west and soon after com- 
menced business in town by putting in the first general store. 
It would not be counted mucli of a store now, but answered 
all purjioses when it was built. At first he carried only groceries 
but later on increased his stock by adding a general stock of such 
goods as are usually found at a country store, and as business 
increased he took a hand in about everything going. He bought 
.and shipped the first car load of hogs and the first car load of 
grain shipped from the station. It was before the day of ele- 
vators and stockyards. He also handled coal and farm ma- 
chinery. 

Ed Fogarty was the first regular grain buyer. The first 
lumber vard was started by Eoberts & Sullivan, in 1885. Sub- 
secjuently they sold out and were succeeded by the Farmers' 
Co-operative Company. This was an organization made up of 
farmers, the object of which was to do away with the middle- 
men and to enable them to ship out their own grain and stock 
and ship in their own coal and lumber. They employed D. 



EARLV BUSINESS VENTURES 511 

L. Wyldo as agent and manager. In addition to handling tlio 
produce of their own nionil)ers, they bought and shipped grain 
and stock and sold coal and lumber. They also handled farm 
machinery. They continued in business about five year3, 
when they dissolved and were succeeded by one of the elevator 
companies. 

The second store in Sui)erior was erected by Warren llurd 
about 1884, and was occupied by David Mitchell as a general 
store. lie also carried a line of farm nLachiliery. 

The first hotel was built and conducted by D. E. Hurd back 
in the eighties, while the first livery barn was put in by War- 
ren Hurd and conducted by Frank Coyle. A somewhat more 
pretentious block was erected in 1889 than had been previously 
attempted .and was used for various purposes — as bank, news- 
paper office, drugstore and several other enterprises. Tlie 
first l)ank, the Superior Savings Bank, was started in 18i>0 
by W. W. Hurd. About this time or a little later, a new^spaper, 
the Superior Xews, was established by F. Finch. This paper 
was published until 1897, when the entire outfit was destroyed 
by fire and no attempt has been made to start, up again. 

The Superior pos!office was first established in 1883 and W- 
S. Gardner appointed postmaster. He kept the office at his 
residence on the farm the first year, but lie soon- found it a 
great nuisance. Indeed, that was one of the considerations 
that induced him to put up a building and go into business in 
town. He held the office until 1890, when he was superseded 
by David Mitchell, who, after holding it two years, was in turn 
succeeded by D. L. (Wylde. Mr. Wylde's successor was E. J. 
Olesen, the present incumbent. 

The first religious denomination to get .a foothold in the 
town were the Baptists, who organized a society soon after the 
town was started. Tliey erected a church buil.ling, the fii-st 
in the town, i,i is-.M). K],],.,. Braistcad of Spirit Lake was the 



512 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

first minister to hold services here. This was previous to erect- 
ing the church building. Subsequent pastors have been Ran- 
dall, Fay and Elder Sloan. The present pastor is Elder Ham- 
ilton. The ]\rethodist Episcopal Church has also had an or- 
ganization here from the first, a part of the time holding their 
services in the schoolhouse .and later on alternate Sundays in 
the Baptist Church. In 1901 they erected their first church 
building. A two room schoolhouse was built as early as 1886, 
and two teachers have been regularly employed since that time. 

In 1897, a considerable proportion of the business part of 
the town was destroyed by fire. The bank, hotel, drugstore, 
printing office, the dry goods and furniture store of J. P. N^el- 
ison, the general store of D. L. Wylde, the restaurant of T. 
Trowbridge, and various other interests v/ere wholly destroyed. 
Some of them were afterwards rebuilt, but it was a long time 
1x?fore the various business interests recovered from their losses. 
Some of them never did. 

Superior never had a rapid growth, and yet in some branch- 
es the business is much larger than in many towns of twice its 
size. In grain .and stock, and in coal and lumber, the business 
done is phenomenally large, while all of the ordinary branches 
of trade in a small country town are well represented. Of 
course, as is always the case, no sooner was business once start- 
ed than changes began to take place. New enterprises were 
inaugurated and the old ones passed into new hands, but it is 
not possible nor is it desirable to follow these changes in all 
their details. 

The town was incorporated in February, 1896. The first 
meeting of the town council was held March 6, 1896. The 
first officers were as follows : L. Broderick, Mayor ; John 
Jacobs, Assessor ; G. M. West, Recorder, and L. F. Kleibenstein, 
M. C. Hogle, D. L. ,Wylde, C. D. Sergeant, T. Trowbridge and 
J. P. ISTelson formed the council. The Mayors since the first 



RAILROAD PROJECTS 513 

have been J. C. Smith, John Jacobs and L. F. Stevenson. 
The present incumbent is O. C. Trueblood, and J. P. Xelson, 
Recorder. The census of 1900 gives the population of the town 
as 187 and of the township, 728. 

During the summer of 1894 or 1895, a scheme was inaugu- 
rated and a company organized under the high sounding name 
oi the Manitoba & Gulf Railroad Company for the purpose 
of building a link in the proposed railroad from Manitoba to 
the Gulf of Mexico. The originator of the scheme was a Mr. 
Carpenter and he had a few others associated with him. They 
hadn't a dollar capital at their command, but they didn't in- 
tend to allow a little thing like that to interfere with their 
enterprise. They started in with as much flourish and parade 
as though they had millions back of them. Their plan was to 
organize a local company, get all the subsidies they could, 
get as much right-of-way as they could, do a little work, and 
then induce some established company to take the enterprise 
off their hands. 

In Jackson County, Minnesota, they succeeded in securing 
quite a subsidy, but the people of this county didn't bite worth 
a cent. They had seen that game before and no subsidies were 
voted, but the company went on with their survey and com- 
menced work all the same. Their line was through Lloyd, 
Richland and Superior townships in this county, and in the 
direction of Jackson, Minnesota. During the summer and 
fall of 1895 the work was pushed as rapidly as possible under 
the circumstances. The grading was mostly completed across 
Richland township and some done in both Lloyd and Sujx^rior. 
Before the year ended the company collapsed beyond .all pos- 
sibility of resurrection. 

In the meantime, a movement had been started to build up 
a town near the center of Lloyd township. The tract selected 
was a part of Section 15 and was owned by E. E. Taylor, who 



514 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

had it surveyed, platted and ])nt on i-t'cord in the summer of 
1895. The first name hit \\])(m for the new town was "Trilby," 
but upon applying to the department for a postoffice, it was 
ascertained that there was already one postoffice by that name 
in Iowa, and so tlie n.ame Terrill was substituted in its })laee. 
A store, bank and hotel and some other buildings were erected 
this season. Among the first business ventures in the new town 
were the hotel by J. R. Phelps, a dry goods store by C. H. 
Avery, the Terrill Bank ])\ Taylor t^: Ewert, a hardware store 
by Sharkey tS: ^MeXary. Other Ijranclies of ])usiness were rep- 
.resented, but when the collapse of the railroad scheme came 
most of the enterprises were suspended for a time or laid off 
altogether. Some of the buildings were moved away and others 
closed for the time being. 

When the officers of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Rail- 
road were looking up their route from Estherville to Spencer, 
they decided to make Terrill a point on their line, and to that 
end utilized a portion of the roadbed of the defunct M.anitoba 
Company. The first survey was a little east of Terrill, as being 
nearer in a direct line between Estherville and Spencer, but 
it was finally decided to make Terrill a jx)int. Mr. Taylor, 
the town proprietor, donated the right-of-way through the land 
he w.as interested in and there were others. The road was built 
in 181)9, being the third in the county. Quite a strong effort 
w^as made by the business men of Spirit Lake to induce the 
company to locate through the center of the county, making 
Spirit Lake and Milford points on the line, but without av.ail. 

Of course, the l)uiMing of this line gave the town a new 
lease of life. The ohl buildings were overhauled and renovated 
and new and better ones erected. Every line of business com- 
mon in a country town was soon represented. The town is 
situated in the center of one of the best agricultural tracts in 
the country .and is peculiarly well located for dealing in farm 



TERRILL 



515 



produce and cnal and Inndicr, and the hnsiness in llioso two 
lines is awav bevdiid what is ordinarily done in towns of the 
size of Terrill. Two elevators and two iirst-class lumber yards 
find a good business. The German Lutherans and the Metbo 
dists have each erected church buildings within the last two 
years and the ( 'ongregationalists are preparing to erect one in 
the near future. The fii-st torm of school was taught by E. E. 
Heldridge 

The town was incorporated in 1899 and Howard Everett 
elected the first mayor. For some reason the organization w^as 
not completed in time for the town to show up in the census re- 
turns of 1900. The population of Lloyd township for that year 
is given as 623. D. M. Shaffer w^as the first postmaster and 
.after the building of the railroad he was succeeded by J. C. 
Blow. The Terrill Tribune was establislicl in 1899 by E. Tay- 
lor, formerly of the Traer Star-Clipper, and ]\Ir. John Hayden. 
At the end of the first year, ]\Ir. Hayden bought out Taylor's 
interest and has since managed it alone and is fast bringing 
it to the front as a readable and reliable paper. 

Lloyd was the first township in the county to adopt the town- 
ship school system so strongly advocated by the state superin- 
tendent. Action in the matter was taken at the spring election 
in 1901 and a schoolhouse erected the same summer. The 
schoolhouse is a modern four room building, fully up in appear- 
ance to those in the larger towns. Three teachers are employed 
the current winter. So far the scheme has proven highly satis- 
factory. The experiment will be watched with a deep interest 
in the other parts of the county. The town has been started 
so short a time that as yet, it can hardly be said to have a hi>- 
tory. 



CHAPTER XL. 

THE EARLY SUMMER TOURISTS LIMITED ACCOM- 
MODATIONS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE LAKES 

EXTRACT FROM GEOLOGICAL REPORT THE 

EARLY STOPPING PLACES CRANDALL^S LODGE 

LILLYWHITE^S LODGE OTHER EARLY STOPPING 

PLACES THE ORLEANS HOTEL SPECULATION AS 

TO WHY IT WAS TORN DOWN. 

IT ,WAS early predicted that the lake region Avould some 
day become famous as a summer resort. Indeed, that 
was one of the factors that entered largely into all of 
the plans and schemes of the early pioneers and ex- 
plorers. While the adjoining states of Minnesota and Wiscon- 
sin are studded with beautiful lakes in all their parts, the state 
of low.a contains but few and that few for the most part of an 
inferior and insignificant character, the principal exception be- 
ing Spirit and Okoboji Lakes. Clear Lake and Storm Lake 
have each acquired a local celebrity and popularity though 
much inferior to the lakes of Dickinson County. 

The earl}' hunting and fishing have been noticed .at some 
length. After the building of the Milwaukee roads through 
Clay and Jackson Counties it came to be a steady thing for a 
few enthusiastic sportsmen of this and adjoining states to spend 
a few weeks each year at the various points about the lakes in 
fishing and bird shooting. Some of the more prominent of these 
early sportsmen were John Rollins, G. M. Hippee, Senator J. 
H. Gear (then Governor), G. S. Pray, Ralph Bell, J. G. Berry- 
hill and several others. At that time there were no places fitted 
up especially for the entertainment of summer tourists, but 



THE EARLY TOURISTS 



517 



they stopped at the primitivo hotels and farm houses, and in 
fact wherever they could. 

The old Crandall Il'ouse was a favorite stopping place with 
many of these old timers. Another favorite point was at M. J. 
Smith's near the Okoboji Bridge, and still another at W. B. 
Arnold's. This was back in the early seventies when Algona, 
Storm Lake and Sihloy were the nearest railroad points, and 
it took lots of endurance, energy and time to make the trip. 

After the Milwaukee road was built to Spencer in 1878 there 
was a visible increase in the number of summer visitors, and 
the need for more and better accommodations at once became 
apparent. Up to this time about the only improvements that 
had been made with the special object in view of accommodat- 
ing the sunmier tourists were Hunters' Lodge, at the north end 
of Spirit Lake, built in 1871, .and Lillywhite's Lodge, built 
about the same time on the southwest shore. As has been be- 
fore noticed, Hunter's Lodge was at or near the point made 
historic by being the place where ]^icollet and Fremont took 




r.i: \i M A r mintkk s i.udck. 



518 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the famous astronomical observation Avhicli has since passed 
into liistory as the first recorded .account of the Spirit Lake 
region. Hunter's Lodge of the early days was a different thing 
from what Crandall's Lodge is at present. But then a descrip- 
tion is unnecessary. It answered well tlie purpose for which 
it was erected. The enthusiastic si)ortsman here found ideal 
conditions. Good beds, perfect shelter and tables always groan- 
ing under the loads of well cooked food are among the pleasant 
recollections of Hunter's Lodge of the early days. And then 
the freedom from restraint, the absence of conventionalities and 
the sense of absolute relief from care and responsibility were 
perfectly delicious. And then too the immense strings of fish 
they used to get ! Xot once in a while, but all of the time. In- 
deed, it luis been remarked that the ease and readiness with 
which fish were taken in the early days robbed the sport of its 
greatest charm. 

The north and northeast shore of Spirit Lake, together with 
Little Spirit Lake, have always been among the most popular 
of the fishing grounds. The demands of the jDublic soon out- 
grew the primitive accommodations of the early days and larger 
and better buildings were erected in their places. A small book- 
let put out by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids «fc; J^orthern Rail- 
way Company has the following: 

"Spirit Lake has many summer cottages along the shores 
with a few resorts where visitors .are entertained. The most 
noted of these is Crandall's Lodge on the northwest shore. This 
famous place has been identified with Spirit Lake for more thaii 
thirty years and has sheltered many hunters and anglers wh.o 
came here year after year to enjoy the superb hunting and fish- 
ing. There are none of the restraints of a fashionable summer 
resort at Crandall's Lodg-e, but visitors here come to have a 
good time unhampered by auytliing that will prevent the fullest 
enjoyment. 

"From time to time additions have been made to the lodge 
which at present, with the eight cottages surrounding it, has 



CRANDALL S LODOE 



519 



at'roiiiiiKMlatidiis for ^sovcntv-tivc or ciiihty j)t'(»|»k'. IMic hoaeli 
tac'iiiii' tlic ln(li>:t' is tile finest on S])irir Lake. It is (jnitc wide, 
floored with clean, white sands diii])ini; so <>,entl_v into the water 
that bathers ean a(' "nt^ Ji grejlt dist.anee before getting' beyond 
their depth. Tliis Is the most jiopnhir ))astinie at this resort 
and the nierrv shonts of eliihlren at l)hiy upon the sand or 
sjxirting in the water are lieard from morn till night. Jjathing 
accidents st) eonimou at many resorts would seem to be imj)o.-- 
sible liere. Boating, sailing, shooting and lishing are also 
))romincMit among the ontdiMir ])leasnres here. The rooms are 
larg(\ w(dl furnished and comfortable. The table is snpjjlied 
with an abundance of well cooked and W(dl serve(l food." 

Cr.ainlairs Lo(lge is a new building erected on the site of 
what was formerly known as Hunter's Lodge. 

Another of the wcdl remeinbercd early day resorts on Sjiirit 
Lake is Lillywhite's Lodge at the southwest shore, where now is 
located the ^Vestside TL)tel. Billy Lillywhite was a great fa- 
vorite with the early sportsmen. lie was an Knglishman and 




VIKW OK I'AKK OK WKST SIDK HOTEL. 



520 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

.a bachelor. He bought the place as early as 1872 and soon 
thereafter erected, what at that time was considered, spacious 
quarters for the entertainment of itinerant sportsmen. Of 
course, in the building and arranging of his place he gave ex- 
pression to his own peculiar ideas and .any one could easily 
understand that no woman had any part in shaping his plans. 
He did his own work, was scrupulously neat, and soon his lodge 
came to be immensely popular. But Billy w,as of a roving dis- 
position, and after a time this kind of life becamfc irksome and 
monotonous and in 1875 he sold the place which afterwards 
came into the possession of C. A. Arnold, Esq. Mr. Arnold 
erected additional buildings, and for several years conducted 
the place as the "'Westside Hotel." The original Lillywhite 
building was destroyed by fire but larger and better ones were 
erected in its place. 

Another place on Spirit Lake which was very popular with 
those, who in an early day were fortunate enough to obtain ac- 
comjnodations there, was Mr. A. Kingman's. Mr. Kingman 
did not plan his improvements with an idea of accommodating 
the summer> resort business at all, but simply with the view 
of building a pleasant home. A large number of the better 
class of peojDle Avere clamorous for just the kind of entertain- 
ment he w,as in position to give, and so at length he yielded to 
their importunities and for a few weeks each summer opened 
his house to summer visitors, having for his patrons some of 
the best people of the state. After the death of his wife he 
sold the place to B. F. Stevens. 

Samson's Lodge was another of the old time resorts. This 
was located on tlu» iiortli shore of Spirit Lake across the bay 
something less than a mile east of Crandall's place. For sev- 
eral years this was quite a noted place, but later it lost its 
prestige and gradually dro^jped out of notice. 



THE OKLEAXS HOTEL 



521 




ORLEANS HOTEL 



Till' Orleans Ilcitcl cniiu's later in point of time bnt may 
as well l)e noticed here as an_vwhei-e. As has heen stated the 
Burliniiton, ('edar Raj)ids (^: Xorthern Railroad was com])leted 
to Spirit Lake in .Iiiiie, 1882. it w.as a ])art of their original 
])]an to hnild a large summer hotid in the lake region, and tlu' 
point selected was on the isthmns hetweon East Okoboji and 
Spirir Lake, right where the old re(l mill was hnilt twenty-tive 
years before. Their ])lan was an <dal)or.ate one, far too miieli 
so to succeed as it afterwards provecl. The hotel was completed 
and thrown open to the ])nblic June 1(», 1888, with elaborate 
ceremonies, wliicdi wei"e written np for the IJeaeon in a fnll and 
enthnsiastie m.aniier. In giving a desei'i])tion of the Iniilding 
at the time it says: 

"The tine engraving accompanying the sket(di gives a fair 
idea of the outlines and location of the hotel, but it takes figures 
to show how com])lete are the accommodations. The dimen- 
sions of the main building .are thri'e hundred and twenty-four 
by forty feet, two stories on the east side and a basement on the 
west end eighty-four feet, making it three stories Avith an addi- 
tion sixtv i)v one hundn^l and twentv feet from the center of 



522 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

the house to the railroad track. It contains a spacious dining- 
room fifty by sixty feet. The building is surmounted by nine 
handsome towers, one on each corner and one over the commo- 
dious office. The veranda affords a grand promenade three 
thousand feet long and sixteen feet wide. There are two hun- 
dred guest rooms all furnished in first-class style with annun- 
ciators, gas, baths .and all modern conveniences. Every room 
has two doors, one leading to the corridor and the other direct 
to the veranda. 

''There is a regular postoffice named 'Minnie' close to the 
hotel. The American Express and fW^estern Union Companies 
have offices in the house, .and there is telephone connection witb 
the town of Spirit Lake. Of course, there is a laundry, a bil- 
liard hall, bowling alley, fishing tackle, boats and all minor 
accommodations in connection with the hotel." * * * 

The opening was a great affair. There was a large company 
there from Atlanta, Georgia, prominent among whom was Col. 
E. P. Howell of the Atlanta Constitution. Speeches, toasts 
and responses were .a feature of the occasion. Among the 
guests were Capt. C. B. Richards of Fort Dodge, who was cap- 
tain of Company A of Major Williams' command that visited 
the lakes at the time of the massacre. Mr. Richards Avas called 
out for a speech and in the course of his remarks said: 

"To me it seems like a dream — as though some Aladin had 
again found his lamp. 'Where I had known the trackless prairie, 
the almost impassable sloughs and rivers, I now find one of 
the best built railroads on the continent and a hotel which for 
comfort, convenience and beauty of location has but few equals 
and no superior east or west, north or south. It seems but a 
short time since I left Fort Dodge, then the frontier town of 
the Northwest, with two hundred men, volunteers raised on two 
hours' notice, to march one hundred miles across an almost 
treeless and trackless prairie in the inclement month of March 
with the ground covered with several feet of snow, to rescue 
from the merciless Sioux the few pioneers who had pushed on 
•beyond the outskirts of civilization. We found here, where 
are so many happy homes and well cultivated farms, only a 
few scattered loff cabins and the mutilated l)odios of everv 



WHY IT WAS A FAILURE 523 

man, woman and child of this then far off and isolated settle- 
ment. The conntry we came over yesterday in a palace car in 
four hours then required ten days of weary marching with- 
out roads or bridges, and instead of .a palatial hotel with every 
modern comfort and convenience the grove on the lake shore 
was our only shelter, and the slice of bacon oooked by a camp 
fire our only subsistence." * * * 

Colonel Howell, Governor Boynton, Hon. L. S. Coffin and 
several others were called out for speeches. Hon. S. L. Dows of 
Cedar Rapids acted .as presiding officer. So much for the 
opening of the Orleans Hotel. J. W. Hutchinson, manager of 
the Lake Park Hotel, at Minnetonka, leased it for a term of 
years and placed the maaagement in the hands of J. B. Bryant, 
Esq. 

At the time the hotel was built there were several factors 
that were not sufficiently canvassed. One important one was 
the Variation of the level of the water in the lake. The summer 
of 1882 is remembered as being the summer of the highest water 
ever known in the lakes, and that was the summer in which 
the plans foi- the hotel were completed. The largest steamers 
on the lakes had no difficulty in making their trips through 
the straits and through the narrows, while those on Spirit Lake 
could approach the shore and m,ake a landing almost anywhere. 
There was at this time a difference in the level of the two lakes 
of nearly six feet. 

The projectors of the hotel scheme seem to have labored un- 
der the same delusion that Peters did when he built the old 
mill, viz., that because there was a difference in the level of the 
two lakes there must be a water power, and acting on this theory 
they cleaned out the old race and put in an improved water- 
wheel and water works for the hotel in addition supplying the 
tank for the use of the railroad. But as the water was drawn 
down in Spirit Lake it didn't fill up .again, and a few dry sea- 
sons so reduced the .•^n])ply tlint tlic raili'oad ix'Ojjle were forced 



524 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

to put in steam power to run their water works. In addition 
to this the water fell away so that the naviuation of East Okohoji 
had to he almndoned almost entirely. 

Xow one of the must enjoyahle steanilmat tri])s fi-dni the 
Orleans wa^ one down through the narrows and throiiiih East 
Okohoji Lake to the several points on AVest Okohoji. These 
trips were popular with the patrons of the hotel and j)roiitahle 
to the steanihoat men as well. The entire ahandomnent of 
these trii)s had a visihle eifeet on the hotel ])atronaii-e. It is 
an open question whether the hotel would for years have made 
any great money for the company had the navigation remained 
as when the hotel w.as huilt, and with the failure of it the ease 
vras hopeless. 

Again, the shore of Sjdrit Lake was very shelving and th-? 
Avater at an almost uniform depth for .a long distance out, thus 
furnishing an ideal hatiiing place .at th(> proper stage of \\iater. 
A substantial dock had been huilt o])])osite the hotel, and as the 
water receded this doek was left high ami dry, and long trestles 
had to Ik' huilt out into the lake to effect' a Landing. 

It has already been noticed that the lakes reached their 
highest level in 1S82, and their lowest in 1S9S. The difference 
at these two dates a])])roximatcs eight feet. It was in 1882 that 
the ])r<tject for building the hot(d w.as decided on, and it was 
in 1898 that it was decided to tear it down. Had the level of 
the lakes been in 1882 where it was in 181)8 it is not probable 
the hotel would have Iveen built. Had it Ixhmi in 181)8 where it 
was in 1882 in all ]»roi)ability it would not have been tt)rn 
<lown. The mistake nuuh' by the I'ailro.ad i)eo]de was in not 
investigating thesie conditions more carefully. When they 
made their ]ilans they seem to have gone on the theory that tho 
lev<d of the hikes wouhl I'emain ])ei'manent, where it then was, 
and when in ISDS it i-eacdied its h)west level thev seem to have 



WHY IT WAS A FAILURE 525 

.acccptcMl the tlicorv that tlic lakes were drviiiii up and would 
.«.()()U he a tliiuii of the past. 

Doiihtlcss luiimi' cnnsidcratii^ns had s(>ni(*thin«>' to do with 
iJKMU't'isiiiu to altau<h)u tlic hotel. In the first place their ])lans 
were t(»(» (dalxu'ate and ex|)ensiv(' for the conditions exist iiiii 
at that time. Thei'e was no (h-uiaud for auvthiuii' of the kind. 
The .accommodations, and the service contemplated, were on a 
>cale that required a rich and aristocratic i)atronagc, and the 
])riees were of the same hi<:h ordei*. Possibly the money panic 
ihrouiih which the country had so recently ]»assed may have 
had somethiuii' to do in checkinii' the existine extra vai»".ance and 
cnforeinii a more rii»id economy as well among summer tourists 
as others. At any rate the hotel didn't pay and as a conse- 
cpienee was ordered torn down. 

The idea seems to have heen ])romuliiate<l hy a cei'tain chiss 
of pajjcrs, both in this and adjoining states, that the Orleans 
Hotel was closed u\) and forced out of business by the radical 
])rohibition sentiment existing among the peoi)le at that time. 
A brief consideration of the subject will show how silly and 
senseless that (daim is. In the first place the railroad people 
knew wliat the law was as well when they built tiie hotel as 
when they tore it down, and in the meantime the law had been 
greatly moditied to meet just such cases. They also knew the 
prohibition sentiment of the ])eople of the county, inasmuch as 
the j)roposed ])rohibitiou amendment to the constitution had 
just received in this county a V(»te of more than tw(> to one in it- 
favor. Tt is no secret that the Orleans Il^tel was one of the 
places had in mind by the committee that decided on the pro- 
visions of the so-called luulct law. 

There was a i)o|)ular demand that the law be s,, uioditied 
that places of this (diaracter be allowed to supply the legitimate 
demands of their patrons .and cnst(»mers in a legal wav and 
-without laying them-elve- liable to criminal prosecuti<»n. Manv 



526 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

who had no use for the open saloon so far waived their preju- 
dices as to sign a consent petition that never would have doine 
so under any other circumstances, and it is idle to claim that 
the radical views of the people on the prohibition question drove 
the Orleans Hotel out of business. It would be just as sensible 
to claim that the "witches" that used to ride Old Peters' water- 
wheel were still haunting the place .and casting their baleful 
spells over every enterprise inaugurated in that locality. The 
improvements at Templar Park are noticed elsewhere. With 
the exception of Templar Park the holdings of J. S. Polk, of 
Des Moines, and B. F. Stevens, of St. Louis, monopolize the 
entire west shore of Spirit Lake from the isthmus to the state 
line. 




CHUVPTER XLT. 

BESORTS OX WEST OKOBOJI-ARNOLD S PARK-ITS 
GROWTH— VARIETY OF ENTERTAINMENT— THE 
ANNUAL SHOOTING TOURNAMENT— MILLER S BAY 
—THE POPULAR FISHING GROUND— THE OBSERVA- 
TORY—THE HIGHEST LAND IN IOWA— WHAT PRO- 
FESSOR MACBRIDE SAYS OF IT-SMITH's POINT— 
OKOBOJI BRIDGE-SOME OF THE EARLY VISITORS 
—THE BOTANY CLASS OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY 
—THE OKOBOJI POSTOFFICE— THE LATER RE- 
SORTS ON WEST OKOBOJI-MANHATTAN BEACH— 
THE INN— GILLEy's BEACH— HAYWAKd's BAY— 
pike's POINT— BROWNELLS BEACH— EGRAL- 

harve-willow spring farm-pocahontas 

POINT PILLSBURy's POINT. 

^HHE EAELY stopping places on West Okoboji were Ai- 
nokUs Park, 'Miller's Bay and Smith's Cottage. Ar- 
nold's Park is on the site of the first improvements m 
the connty m,ade subsequent to the massacre, made by 
J S. Prescott in'the summers of 1857 and 1858. Some five or 
six years later the residence was destroyed by fire and Pres- 
cott moved another building about sixteen by twenty feet m 
size and one story high on the same site where he was living 
.-hen he sold out to Blake & Arnold. This one story one 
voomed house was a famous stopping place in the early days. 
No matter how much they were crowded "Wet" could always 
find room for one more. The low banks, sandy shore, c ear 
water and adjacent grove n.ado this a fan>ons ran.p.uo place 
longlx'fore a summer resort was thought of. 



528 



DICKIN.SON COUNTY 



IOWA 




AUNULD .■< I'AKK 110 11.J> i i.uM 1 1 ; 1. J.LAlII. 



Well, as suininei" business began to develop and summer vis- 
itors eouinienced making' tlieir annual trii)s "in si-areli of sport 
and western game," Arnold conniieneed building "he knew not 
what." Whenever his business demanded an additional bnild- 
ing he put it u]) whei'ever tliere was room for it regardless of 
plats or ])lans. He eouinienced building about IST-'J and has 
kept it uj) at jiretty regular interv.al* ever sinee, until be lias 
quite a village all his own. Anything and evervtliing that tends 
to attract and intiM-est a promiscuous crowd is found here in 
abundance. The hotel proper with the cottages furnish accom- 
modations for from two to three hundred guests and on occasion 
by a little crowding mor(^ can be cared for. Arnold's l*ark 
is coming to be tlie "storm center" for excnrsions over the Mil- 
waukee road, wliicli are every Vi-ar grnwiug in number, magni- 
lude and i)()iudarity. 

The amusements foi- which facilities are atl'orch'd are many 
and varied. A large pa\ilion with a roomy stage, .and a thou.i- 



530 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



and chairs, furnishes facilities for public gatherings of evcrv 
kind. Sermons, lectures, concerts, theatricals and dancing par- 
ties alternate with: each other in pretty regular succession, al- 
though the dancing parties .are usually somewhat in the lead. 
Boating, bathing and fishing are the aquatic sports provided 
for. Steamers, sailboats and rowboats are at the dock every 
hour in the day. Here also is the highest 'toboggan slide ever 
erected in the lake region. The person who never went down 
a toboggan slide into the water below has missed a very exciting 
experience. When first introduced they were a great fad, but 
of late have attracted less attention. 

Pool, billiards and tenpins are largely indulged in, to say 
nothing of the more questionable and exciting games. It is a 
cosmopolitan company that annually meets here for their sum- 
mer vacation. Here the zealous young preacher, who con- 
scientiously bears the burden of looking after the spiritual 
welfare of his flock, ''touches elbows" with the flashily dressed 




Arnold's park toboggan slide. 



532 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

"sporting iiian" who is ahvavs rcadv To '"liiiek the tiuer" on 
occasion, while lawyers, doctors, editors, traveliuii' men ai^l 
college professors Ixdp to swell the crowd. 

Of the many e\'ents yearly "j)ul]e(l ofl'" at the park none are 
more })0])nlar or attract more attention than the annnal shooting 
tonrnament, where trials of skill in lixc hird and trap shoot- 
ing are arranged and the celebrities in that line from all j)arts 
of America, meet here to contest for trophies and champion- 
ships. Fred Gilbert, who has won more prizes in this line and 
captnred mo-re tro])hies and ludd them longer than any other 
person living, was a Dickinson ("onnty boy and one of the 
j)rodncts of the "|)ioneer days" and it is related of him that he 
acipiired his amazing skill as .a "wing shot" by shooting black- 
birds in his father's cornfield when a mei-e "kid" of from eight 
to twelve years of age. Ilis gri^at advantage lies in his wonder- 
fnl celerity oi- (|nickness of aim, and as l)efore stated this (juick- 
ness was aetpiired in shooting blackbirds in the early days when 
they were a great nnisance. 

Miller's Iiay is another of the old time favorite camping 
gronnds. Miller was o-ne of the first settlers on the west side of 
West Okoboji Lake, and his ])lace was sitnated jnst right to 
form an ideal cam])ing ground. Like many others, ^liller's 
.icconimodations at first consisted of oidy a farm house, and a 
small one at that, lint parties who were ])artial to tli.at side of 
the lake s;i im])orrnned him that lu' finally erected accommo- 
dations consisting of office, dining room and sleeping rooms for 
a limited nnmber, where he entertained substantially the same 
old crowd year after year, winning deserved iM)i)nlarity. He 
aftei-wards laid off a large nnndicr of lake shm-e lots under 
the name of 'West Okoboji 

]\riller's Bay is ])opularly snp|)osed to be the finest fishing 
ground about the lakes. West Okoboji is known to be by far 
the deepest ai the lakes and the bottom the roughest and most 



miller's bay 



533 




miller's bay. 

v.ncvi'u; tlmt i^, tlic'iv n.v pUu-cs when- it <ln>i.s ..t^' aUniprly 
from a .l.-pth "f tliirty <.r forty feet to iK'urly tw.. liundiv-l. 
This luHMiliarity is ui.nv marked in tli.at part of the lake be- 
tween Fort Dodge Point and ]\Iiller's B.ay than anyhere else, 
and these pools or deep places in the bottom of the lake are snp- 
posed to keoi) np the snpply of fish after the shallower places 
are exhanstcch 

()v('rlo,.kin.i.- Miner's Hay from tin- west on what is known 
as the Willow Spring Farm, is a high hill or monnd claimed by 
some to be tiie highosr lan<l in Towa. On the to,) of this mound 
a kind uf ohs('rvat..ry has been cnvto.! and iho idare i.njnre.l out 
to the summer tourists as the highest point between flie "Alle 
ghanies" and the ^^ Rockies." An amusing incident is 
related -.f the captain of one of the early sto.auu'rs, 
who by the way, although uu.- .-f the best felh.ws 
in the world, was .a little inclined to be pompous and couse- 



534 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

qiiential iu his manner. At that time trips from the Orleans 
down through East Okoboji and over into West Okoboji were 
very jDopnlar. On one occasion a party of intelligent ladies and 
gentlemen were making the trip when one of the men, notic- 
ing the obsei'vatory, .asked the captain what it was and what 
it meant. The captain at onoe struck a dramatic attitude and 
answered somewhat pompously : "That, ladies and gentlemen, 
is the highest point of land in Iowa, seventeen thousand feet 
high, ladies and gentlemen." This so amused the gentleman 
that Avhen he repeated it to his companions they conspired to 
put up a job on the captain by each in turn dropping into con- 
versation with him and casually .asking some question about the 
observatory, and to each he had the same stereotyped reply, 
"That is the highest point in Iowa, seventeen thousand feet 
high, ladies and gentlemen." 

This mound, too, was the place pointed out to the unsophis- 
ticated summer tourist .as the grave of Okoboji, and many a sen- 
timental scribbler has exhausted his stock of adjectives and 
adverbs in writing high sounding homilies over the pile of sand 
and gravel M'hich was pointed out to him .as the grave of the 
mythical chieftain. 

jSTow as to what in truth is the highest point in Iowa, there 
is some difference of opinion. ;What may or may not be the 
highest point about the lakes is uncertain, but the preponder- 
ance of testimony is in favor of a high peak in a cluster of 
knobs near the northeast corner of section one, in Lakevillje 
to\vnship. There are several other jxtints of about the same 
altitude, but none of them .are as high as some points in Os- 
ceola County. Prof. T. H. MacBride, in his report on the geol- 
ogy of Dickinson and Osceola Counties, discusses this point 
very entertainingly. He says : 

"The most remarkable of all these hills, a beautiful object 
in itself, and by far the most elegant illustration of its type. 



SMITH S POINT 



535 



is the lonii- tiuic famous Ocheyedan* mound. This is a prairie 
mountain? a precipitous mound or i>eak, rising at last abruptly 
from the aeneral surrounding level. It is situated in the south- 
Avest one-fourth of the southwest one-fourth of section 12, in 
township 99, range 40, west, on the east bank of the Ocheyedan 
Valley, and about one mile southeast of Ocheyedan town. One 
hundred and seventy feCt above the valley flood-plain, and at 
least twentv feet higher than any surrounding land, it lias 
lono- been a landmark .and is visible at their homes to hundreds 
of citizens of Osceola County. The height above sea level, as 
estimated from data furnished by railway surveys, is not far 
from l,fiTO feet, one of the highest points in Iowa, Its only 
rival the summit of the moraine in Wilson township northwest 
of Allendorf, which lias probably alx)ut the same elevation. 

Another of the early day camping grounds which was very 
popular was at the crossing of the straits between East, and 
West Okoboji. This was known as Smith's Point. All of the 
north and south travel through the county converges at this 
point, it being the only place for fully three miles either e.as^ 
^)r west tliat the lakes can be crossed. Here was erected the 
first bridge built in the county. Previous to the bridges people 
crossed as they could. At the first election the boys from the 
north side of the straits swam over and those who couldn't 
swim, paddled themselves across on poles or chunks of wood. 
]^rost of the teaming at that time was done by ox teams and 
many of -them soon learned as soon as they reached the Avater 
to strike for the other side without any hesitation. \\Y\ieTe 
the couplings of the wagon were properly secured and the box 
lashed to the running gear, if the box was reasonably tight and 
the driver level headed, a team that understood their business 
would cross and make a landing on the opposite side wit'hout 
danger of accident. The distance they had to swim was about 



♦Pronounced 0-chee-dan ; Nicollet has this to say: "Otclieycdan-a name 
derived from a small hill, the literal meaning of which is 'the spot where tliey cry': 
alluding to the custom of the Indians to repair to elevated situations to weep over 
their dead relatives."- Nicollet, Report of the Upper Mississippi Kiver. etc., p. 27. 



DES MOINES BEACH 537 

thirty feet. The strait was something over two hundred feet 
wide, but was fordable except the thirty feet in the center. 

The first bridge was .a footbridge, made of small logs flat- 
tened on one side and laid on trestles. After this was one with 
trestles strong enough to bear a team. On these were laid 
stringers and these stringers covered with ten foot plank. In 
the fall of 1860 came the county bridge. In 1873 M. J. Smith 
erected a dwelling house afterwards pretty well known as 
Sniifli's Cottage. 

At this time nobody comprehended wliat the summer resort 
business was to be in the near future, and everyone planned 
his building to suit his own taste or convenience, regardless 
of what the public might demand hereafter, and Smith's Cot- 
tage was planned and built without any thought of its being 
opened as a summer resort, but the convenience of the location, 
together with its natural attractions, early made it a favorite 
stopping place for many of the prominent people of the state. 
The late Sen-ator Gear, who was an enthusiastic sportsman 
and very skillful with the rod, spent some time here every fall 
during his term of office as Governor. He was invariably 
accompanied by his wife and usually one or more of the state 
officers. Judge Given also in an early day spent his annual 
vacation in camp at Okoboji. Before the era of cottages or 
railroads, he, in company with a large party of friends and 
congenial spirits, used to come here, bringing with them their 
tents and camping outfit. Usually they pitched their camp 
"on the brow of the hill" overlooking Okoboji bridge, where 
they established headquarters, and untrammeled by the con- 
ventionalities which have come to be a part of the life of the 
more recent yeai's, they gave themselves up for the time being 
to the enjoyment of tlie rest and change their surroundings 
afforded. 



538 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



IOWA 



^^^^^■^■^^^H^^^^^^^K^ 4.^^.^k-yiBpW^ )t!^KHI^^^B>«^HIi^^^^B^IBV^ ^$*#ir/^ 


^ 


^^BE^B^Wi^BLJWBi^^ -i^s^ -^j^c ^v 




»#"i^.X/// f 


1 



RUSTIC BRIDGE— DES MOINES liEACH IN DISTANCE — LOOKING EAST. 



Judge Given exhibited the same qualities of intelligence 
and good sense in arranging and managing a sununer camp 
that he has always manifested in other matters. He has the 
happy faculty of making every man, woman and child with 
whom he comes in contact believe he is their pai^ticular per- 
sonal friend, and the consequence is there isn't a "kid" in 
the whole lake region but thinks the Judge is about the great- 
est man in Iowa, and, by the way, the Judge seems to enjoy 
this kind of popularity fully as much as he does the laurels 
he won on the field or the honors that have since been accorded 
him on the bench. 

In 1885 '^r. J. Smith laid oflf some lake shore lots and offered 
them for sale \uu\vr the name of Okoboji Park. Judge Given 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

was the first to purchase one of these lots and one of the first to 
build ,a cottage thereon, and it was in this way that the place 
came to be known as "Given's Point." George Dimmit of 
Des Moines built the first cottage at Okoboji. Tlhat year and 
the next several Des Moines parties purchased lots and built 
on them, and have in the main occupied them ever since, al- 
though some changes have occurred .and it was for this reason 
the place came to be known as "Des Moines Beach." 

In like manner Fort Dodge Point received its name. A 
party of some six or eight prominent citizens of Fort Dodge 
purchased grounds, laid off lots and built cottages in close 
proximity, thus forming a community of their own, and the 
place has since been known .as Fort Dodge Point. 

A movement is now on foot to interest the authorities of the 
State University in the jDroject of founding here a sununer 
school, which shall serve as a kind of annex or auxiliary to that 
institution. The scheme was originated by Prof. T. H. 
MacBride, of the chair of botany. An Iowa City correspond- 
ent of the Des Moines Capital, under date of July 27, 1901, 
writes of the enterprise as follows : 

"^STUDEXTS AXD TEACHERS OF THE .STATE UNIVERSITY GO TO THE 
■^'l.AKES TO STUDY THE FLORA AND FAUNA THERE. 

"Iowa City, July 27. — Iowa's first summer school of botany 
held under the auspices of the State University of Iowa, will 
open at Lake Okoboji Monday. At 8 :30, o'clock last night a 
party of students, twenty in number, with teachers, left Iowa 
City for Lake Okoboji, the headquarters of the sununer scliool, 
the party having leased cottages in that locality. They took 
with them a large equipment of the finest microscopes, reagents, 
etc., leaving behind no paraphernalia necessary to fit out a 
laboratory that would do credit to a university of pretension. 

"Those of the party who intend to become teachers of bot- 
any will prepare at Okoboji sets of material that will be of 
especial value in '!heir chosen field of work. Lake Okoboji is 
particularly rich in aquatic plants, and at the same time pos- 



OKOBOJI POSTOFFICE 541 

sesses the additional desirableness of having a rare combina- 
tion of prairie, timl^'r and water conditions that will appeal 
with force to botanists in search of good material. The 
school will last two weeks and will Iwi in charge of Prof. B. 
Shimek. Dr. T. H. MacBride, now engaged in working for the 
state geological snrvey, will visit the school for .a brief time. 
The experiment will be watched with interest by university 
people and upon the result depends the establishment of a per- 
manent summer botanical school of the university." 

This experiment, if successful, will mean much to Okoboji 
and Dickinson County. Smith's Cottage is for the time being 
the headquarters of this experimental school. Whether it 
will "pan out" as bright as its friends now anticipate remains 
to be determined. 

Smith's Bay is the most perfectly land locked harbor on the 
lake, and most of the steamers have their coal docks here, 
which at times gives the place quite a lively appearance. It 
is also winter quarters for most of the steamers on West 
Okoboji. 

As has been before noticed, the Okoboji postoffice was es- 
tablished in the spring of 1859, with G. 11. Bush, Esq., post- 
master. He was succeeded the following summer by ^f. J. 
Smith, who held it for several j^ears, when he in turn was suc- 
ceeded by J. W. O'Farrell. There was a great deal more work 
than pay about the office at that time and nobody wanted it. 
Along about 1880, or a little before, E. A. Case built a small 
store and put in a stock of goods in the grove south of the 
Okoboji bridge, and was appointed postmaster .at the time. 
Previous to this time the office had been kcjit in private homes, 
but from this time on it was kept in ])iiblic places. A few years 
later Case moved to Milford and S. E. ^fills was appointed 
postmaster. About this time Mr. !Mills erected a store build- 
ing and put in ,a stock of groceries and cam]) su|)])li('s. Mills 
■ lirothers wen- the first to nnd<e a rei>nlar business of furnishini" 



542 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



boats, bait and fishing tackle for visiting sportsmen. They at 
once set to work to collect a fleet of boats, and by dint of build- 
ing some and buying the rest, they soon had one of the most com- 
plete fleets of fishing boats ever put on the lake. 

About this time the roller skate craze broke out and every 
place must have its skating rink. A young Norwegian by the 
name of Louis Kellsen thought to make his fortune by putting 
in a skating rink. He accordingly efi'ected an arrangement with 
Mr. Mills whereby they were to erect a suitable building, the 
basement of which Mills was to occupy as a boat house, while 
the upper story Mr. Kellsen was to operate as a skating rink. 
The building was erected and they started in all right, but the 
skating craze collapsed just about as sudden as it sprung up, 
and Mr. Kellsen found himself with his rink and several dozen 
pairs of roller skates on hand. These he finally disposed of to 
Mr. Mills for much less than they cost him. Mr. Mills parti- 




SMITH'.S hay, OKOHOJI store ANn POSTOFFICE. 



MANHATTAN BEACH 



543 



tionoJ off the skating room and moved the postoffice and store 
business into the front room, while the rear he used for storing 
and painting boats, for which it was well adapted. About 1888 
ho sold out to 'W. S. Wilson tSr Sons, who continued the same 
line of business, enlarging and improving it to meet the grow- 
ing demands of their trade. ^Fr. Wilson was also appointc.l 
postmaster, which position he still retains. 

The later resorts onlWest Okoboji are Manhattan Beach, Tho 
Inn, Omaha Beach, Havward's Bay and Pike's Point, at each 
of which places accommodations more or less elaborate have been 
provided for the entertainment of summer tourists. 

Manhattan Beach is situated on the west shore of West Oko- 
boji Lake, north of Miller's Bay. The project of making a 
summer resort of this point was first conceived by D. B. Lyon, 
Esq., of Des Moines, about 1803. He first purchased a large 
tract of land having more than a mile of lake shore, and 
through his efforts a joint stock company was organized. A 
long line of lake shore lots Avas.laid out and put on the market. 
Cottages were erected and a large pavilion built with dining 
room, office and other conveniences requisite for a fashionable 
resort. A roomy bathhouso and toboggan slide were among the 




HOTEL MANHATTAN, LAKE OKOHOJI. 



544 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

attractions. The old steamer, Ben Lennox, was pureliased and 
thoroughly overhauled .and the name changed to the "Manhat- 
tan," and it was ran so as to make all the trains .at the Arnold's 
Park station in the interests of the hotel. Another steamer, 
a flat bottomed stern wheeler, which was bnilt at Spirit Lake 
and named the "Robert Williams," was also bought with the 
intention of running her between Spirit Lake and the Okoboji 
bridge,' there to connect with the "'Manhattan." But somehow 
none of their schemes panned out as planned. Both of the 
steamers, which were old, when they bought them, rotted down 
on their hands, and none of their projects proved profitable. 
The lots didn't sell and the hotel didn't pay. It was too far 
from the railroad and it cost too much to run it. The expenses 
exceeded the income and the whole concern went into the hands 
of a receiver, and the property sold for what it would bring. 

A new company has since been organized on a more econom- 
ical basis with a view of running matters more nearly in accord- 
ance with business principles. They have erected several new 
buildings and repaired, renovated and refurnished the old ones, 
and made other needed improvements, until the place ranks 
with the finest resorts about the lakes. The location is a charm- 
ing one, combining luxuriant shade, sandy beach, rocky shon-, 
clear water and cool breezes to a very enjoyable extent. 

One of the best known and most popular places on West Oko- 
boji was first known .as Maple Orove and next as Bennett'.s 
Beach, and later as Dixon's Beach. About 1882 Dixon sold 
out to the railroad company, or rather to a company composed 
of a few of the railway officials arid a few outsiders who con- 
ceived the idea of building up a great summer resort at the 
railroad company's expense. Their scheme was to pocket the 
profits while the railroad company paid the bills. The death 
of President Mitchell and Superintendent Merrill both occur- 
ring about this time, the management of the road was thrown 



DIXON 8 BEACH 



545 




EARLY DAY CAMP ON DIXON 'S BEACH. 

into the hands of other people who were not in the scheme, and 
would not, therefore, derive any direct benefit from its 
success, and they absolutely refused to have anything- to do with 
it, consequently the scheme Avas abandoned and the parties left 
to unload their land as best they could. 

In the course of a few years, .after various vicissitudes, the 
property came into the hands of J. A. Beck, Esq., an experi- 
enced hotel man from Fairfield, Iowa, who at once set to work 
to perfect plans for a first-class summer resort. The location 
is an ideal one. For many years "Dixon's Beach" was known 
as one of the finest in Iowa. It has few equals and no superiors. 
It was in 1896 that Mr. Beck commenced improvements on 
the place as a summer resort. Previous to that time he had 
erected cottages and farm buildings and made other improve- 
ments in a general way, and that year he built "The Inn," and 




i^ 



548 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

liMS since continued to add to the original strncUire until he has 
succeeded in producing one of the most unique and popular 
resorts in the whole lake region. One of the recent Burlington^ 
(^edar Rapids & Northern Railroad advertising circulars speaks 
of ''The Inn" as follows : 

"On the eastern shore of the lake, towering over Dixon's 
Beach, stands 'The Inn,' a fine new summer hotel of eighty 
rooms, all facing the water, and open to the deliciously cool 
and refreshing breezes that come across from the southern and 
western shores. 'The Inn' is equipped with a splendid shore- 
built pavilion, and for bathing the beach immediately in front 
has not its equal on the lake. The social life of Okoboji cen- 
ters at 'The Inn,' with its excellent orchestra and the season 
witnesses many delightful society events." 

In addition to the foregoing many of the more desirable 
points about the lakes, and more especially about West Oko- 
boji, h,ave been purchased and platted and lots offered for sale, 
and on most of them improvements of greater or less' magni- 
tude have been made. In some cases pavilions, dining rooms 
and other facilities for the entertainment of summer visitors 
have been provided. Prominent in this catalogue are Gilley'< 
Beach, Hayward's B.ay, Pike's Point, Brownell's Beach, Poca- 
hontas Point, Omaha Beach, Egralharve and possibly some 
others. 

Gilley's Beach is the headquarters of quite a colony of peo- 
ple from Carroll County, prominent among whom are William 
Gilley, 'W. L. Culbertson, C. E. Townsend, R. E. Coburn, Wil- 
liam Trowbridge and several others. Mr. Gilley was the orig- 
inator and promoter of the scheme. As early as 1894 he pur- 
cliased a piece of lake shore property on the east side and pretty 
well toward the south end of iWest Okoboji Lake, and laid it 
off in lots under the name of Gilley's Beach. These lots he 
disposed of to his friends and neighbors, until there is quite 
a colony of them who have erected neat cottages on their lots 



GILLEY S BEACH 



540 



and who come up aiiiuially to spend their snmmers. So far 
they have made no move toward the erection of buildings for 
the accommodation of the genera] public, and it is not under- 
stood that such is a part of their plan, the idea being to provide 
suitable facilities whereby a company of congenial spirits can 
enjoy their summer vacation in their own way without any 
possibility of being .annoyed by the many objectionable features 
which are so often prevalent at the summer resorts, and for this 
purpose no more charming place could be found in the lake re- 
gion. 

AVilliam Easconi's place on ]\Iinnie IWashta is another jxtint 
which of late has won deserved popularity as .a place whore 
can be found neat and quiet accommodations for a limited num- 
ber of guests in search of rest and recreation, who dislike the 
turmoil and excitement of the larger ami more prominent 
places. 




OKOBOJI CEMETERY AND MINNIE WASHTA. 



660 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 




ir.ajwai'd's Bay, aiiotlier cliarniiiii;- location, is on the east 
side of West Okoboji, nearly two miles north of The Inn. This 
place was originally fenown as Palmer's Bay, but some years 
since it became the property of Mr. William Hayward of Spirit 
Lake, who siu-vcyed and platted a portion of it in lake shore 
lots. With the people of Spirit Lake this is the most popular 
point on West Okoboji, and many of them have purchased 
lots and erected cottages there and spend a portion of each sum- 
mer enjoying the rest and change afforded by an outing on 
tlie sandy shores of Hay ward's Bay. 

Pike's Point, north of Hjayward's Bay, was purchased and 
laid off by Baum and Patterson, of Omaha, in the early nineties. 
They erected a spacious pavalion and dining room and built 
several cottages, and for a few seasons business w.as rushing 
with them. It was they who introduced the toboggan- slide, 
they being the first to erect one about the lakes as a means of 
recreation for the summer tourists. After a few seasons busi- 
ness at this resort rather flagged, and finally it was neglected 
altogether. But for all this, it is a charming location. 

North of Pike's Point is Brownell's Beach. Dr. E. L. 
Brownell, of Spirit Lake, owns over half a mile of lake shore, 



MINOR KKSOKTS 



551 




pike's point. 

which he proposes in the near future to throw open to the puh- 
lic. As yet the only improvements made thereon are a few pri- 
vaite cottages, but as the demand for cottage lots increases he? 
will doubtless offer his for sale, many of which rank witli the 
choicest in the lake region. 

Egralharve is the location of the famous mineral spring. 
This place is the property of G. A. Badgerow, of Sioux City. 
The location is a charming one, the grounds being tastefully 
laid out and well kept. The place owes its celebrity to a large 
mineral spring. This spring is located nearly half a mile from 
the lake shore, from which point the water is brought down in 
iron pipes to the basin and fountain erected on the grounds 
1a' the proprietor. What makes this the more remai'kable is 
that the prairie region .about there is devoid of springs of any 
kind, and this one breaking out as it does with such a munifl- 



552 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

cent flow excites the surprise of every newcomer. The aiialy~is 
of the water shows the component parts to be very similar to 
those of the famons springs at Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

Willow Spring Farm at the west side of Miller's Bay has 
long been a favorite stopping place for a limited number of 
summer tourists. Like many other favorite stopping places 
this is not a hotel but a farm house, which has long been famous 
for the hospitality and good cheer which is generously extended 
to .all newcomers. It has many interesting associations and 
surroundings. Here is located the celebrated mound and ob- 
servatory so often pointed out as the highest point in Iowa, and 
also as the burial place of the mythical chieftain "Okoboji." 

Pocahontas Point, situated on Brown's Bay, on the southwest 
<hore of 'West Okoboji, is another of the choice locations for 
which tliat lake is famed. Back in the early eighties, when the 
• lifferent railroad companies were prospecting this region Avith 
a view to building in here, the .attorney for the Rock Island road, 
in company with ^Nlr. Bruce, of Pocahontas County, bought the 
old John Brown })laee for that company, and after the author- 
ities of the road abandoned the project of building up here ai 
that time, the land went into the hands of others from Pocahon- 
tas County and soon after came to be known as Pocahontas 
Point. 

Witliin the last few years quite a respectable village of simi- 
mer cottages has grown up at and about Pillsbury's Point. A 
comj^any of I)es Moines capitalists organized what is known 
as the South Beach Company and purchased several desirable 
locations, a portion of which they have laid off and platted aa. 
cottage lots. On many of these lots some of the finest summer 
cottages about the lakes have been erected. Judge Given also 
purchased quite a tract which he laid out and platted, but in- 
stead of offering the lots for sale he has erected cottages on 
manv of them which he leases to the families of summer tour- 






Mm- ■. 




554 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



ists. He already h.as some eight or ten whicli he leases that 
way, and proposes building more in the near future. The place 
was kno^vni as Pillsbury's Point long before any cottages were 
built, and is better known by tliat name now than any other. 
Attempts have at different times been made to adopt a more 
high sounding name, as "Cass Bay," "Crescent Beach," and 
possibly some others, but so far without success. This is a pan 
of the old Gardner place of the pioneer days. Here is located 
ihe old log cabin which was the residence of the family of Row- 
land Gardner at the time of the massacre of 1857. Of the 
half dozen cabins built previous to that time, this is the, only 
one preserved. Here is located the monument erected by the 
state and dedicated to the memory of the victims of the only In- 
dian massacre ever perpetrated in Iowa. Here was enacted 
the bloodiest tragedy recorded in Iowa history. Hundreds of 
visitors every summer make pilgrimages to this historic spot to 
listen to the unique and tragic story of the sole survivor of this 
terrible tragedy, and after listening to the heart rending recital 
they feel that the greatest wonder is that she is there to tell it. 




SCENK ON HKOWNELL"S llKAtll. 




CHAPTER XLII. 

]-"akmi:ks' ok(;.vmzatio.n> — thk Dickinson- 
county agricultural society the grange 

THE l'Ai;-MF.Ks' AI.l.IAXCK FARMERS^ INSTI- 
TUTES THE DICKINSON COUNTY FARMERS^ MU- 

TIAI. INSURANCE COMPANY A FEW STATISTICS 

OF TlIK GROWTH OF THE COUNTY A FULL LIST 

OF THE COUNTY OFFICERS TO THE PRESENT TIME 

STATE AND DISTRICT OFFICERS ELECTED AND 

APPOINTED FROM THIS COUNTY. 

I liST and last several org.anizatioiis have been perfected 
with the avowed object of promoting the agricultural in- 
terc^sts of the county. At least that was given as the 
ostensible reason for their existence. The first of these 
was the Dickinson Countv Agricultural Society, which was or- 
ganized in the summer of 1871, with R. A. Smith, president, 
R. L. Wilcox, secretary, and a board of directors of one from 
each township in the county. An agricultural fair was held 
at Spirit Lake on the nineteenth day of October, 1871, which 
was a decided success in its way, especially if measured by the 
zeal and interest manifested by its proiiioti-rs. The society was 
kept up some three or four years, but the coming of the grass- 
hoppers in 1873, and the four years destruction of the crops 
which followed, so demoralized the agricultural interests of 
the county tliat the nimual fairs wcvv abaiidoncd and the Dick- 
inson County Agi'icultural Society went out of existence. One 
or two attempts have since been made, and m<x>tings called 
with the object in view of reviving th(^ old organization or form- 
ing a new one, but nothing ever came of them. 



556 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

The Granges represent the next move on the part of the agri- 
culturists to build up a farmers' organization. Their story has 
been told in connection with that of the civic societies of th^ 
several towns where located and need not be repeated. After 
the passing of the Grange, came the Farmers' Alliance. Their 
story is soon told. So long as they confined their efforts to the 
legitimate objects for which they were organized they enjoyed 
a good degree of prosperity, but when the management fell into 
selfish and incompetent hands, agricultural interests were neg- 
lected and the leaders endeavored to use the organization for per- 
sonal and partisan ends, it became unpopular, and soon was 
numbered with the things that were but are not. 

The Farmers' Alliance was succeeded by the Farmers' In- 
stitute. This institution sprang up suddenly and became im- 
mensely popular at once, and bids fair to remain one of the 
permanent institutions of the county. The first one was held at 
Superior, February 21 and 22, 1895. The first move for a 
Farmers' Institute in this county seems to have originated with 
the citizens of Superior and others in the "eastern portion of 
the county, and to them belongs the credit of making the first 
start in that direction. An association was formed, of which 
W. F. Taylor was president, and H. D. Cole, secretary. Henry 
Wallace was the principal speaker and conductor of the Insti- 
tute, and succeeded in inspiring a good degree of interest and 
enthusiasm. The first meetings seem to have been somewhat 
informal, but a regular organization was effected at the meet- 
ing at Spirit Lake March 10 and 11, 1897. Since the first ses- 
sions have been held at Spirit Lake, Milford and Lake Park, 
and at each place with marked success. 

There are several reasons why, in the nature of things, the 
Farmers' Institute is of far more value to the agricultural in- 
terests than anything that preceded it. In the first place, the 
organization is simplicity itself, and can be readily adapted to 



farmers' institutes 667 

• 

any and all conditions. The tendency of the old time fair to 
degenerate into a horse race, and a poor one at that, nearly des- 
troyed its usefulness in any other direction. Horse racing may 
be all right enough, but it should be worked in a class by itself. 
The Grange proved too expensive in both time and money. Its 
organization was too complex for the purpose for which it was 
intended, and it gradually died out. The Spirit Lake Grange 
maintained its organization much longer than any other in 
this part of the state, but finally passed out of existence. The 
tendency of the Alliance was to run into politics, and to stim- 
ulate its members to try to get something for nothing. Xone 
of these objections can be urged against the Farmers' Insti- 
tute. On the contrary, the Institute has proven the most eco- 
nomical and satisfactory channel yet devised for the interchang- 
ing of ideas, and comparing experiences along the line of agri- 
cultural development. 

The Dickinson County Farmers' Mutual Insurance Com- 
pany was organized in January, 1890, but no policies were 
written until the following June. The first ofiicers were : Pres- 
ident, U. I. Bruns ; Vice-President, Don B. Smith ; Secretary, 
J. W. Hagerty ; Treasurer, P. Rasmussen ; and a board of direc- 
tors consisting of one person from each township. But two poli- 
cies were written the first year, the first one being in favor of 
J. R. Leman, afterwards president of the company. At first 
the growth was slow and the business light, but about 1894 it 
commenced to increase, and since that time it has steadily 
grown in volume, until by the middle of 1901 the risks carried 
by this company aggregated nearly half a million dollars and 
were rapidly increasing. The present officers are: President, 
J, R. Leman ; Vice-President, S. A. Winey ; Secretary, H. Van 
Steenburg; Treasurer, Don B. Smith. 

The Farmers' ]\Iutual is proving a most effectual barrier 
against the oppressive exactions formerly practiced by the old 



558 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



line companies and is rapidly growing in pnblic favor. It is 
claimed by the representatives of the old line companies that 
they are not making .any money in Iowa, and that it is impos- 
sible for them to make any under the present insurance laws 
of the state. ISTow, this may be true, but it is also true that the 
farm.ers' mutuals where honestly and economically managed 
furnish equally safe and satisfactory protection and at less 
than half the cost. Of course this applies strictly to farm in- 
surance. The question of town insurance is a different and 
far moi-e difficult problem. 

It will hardly be desirable, even if it were possible, to fol- 
low the details of the county history through the later years 
of its growth. In comparing figures with those of other coun- 
ties, the fact must be borne in mind that Dickinson County has 
the smallest .area of land of any county in the state. 
While the area of a standard Iowa county is sixteen to^vn- 
ships, or five hundred and seventy-six sections, this county has 
but twelve townships, four of which are fractional on the state 
line and not full size. The total area of the county is three hun- 
dred and twenty-one sections, about ten per cent of which is 
occupied by lakes, or about half the area of a standard county. 
This fact should be remembered when comparing the figures 
or statistics of this county with those of others. 

■Statistics are usually voted dry and uninteresting, and it is 
not deemed worth the trouble to give more tlxan is necessary 
to show in a general way the gradual growth and development 
of the county. The population of the county at the several 
periods mentioned arc from the official census reports. Dick- 
inson County first appeared in the census returns in 1859. The 
figures from that date to the present are as follows: 



1859 


1860 


1863 


1865 


1867 


1869 


1870 


1873 


1875 


1880 


1885 


1890 


18115 


1900 j 


131 


180 


189 


300 509 


582 


1389 


1743 


1748 


1901 


3215 4328 


6025 


7995 j 



A FKW STATISTICS or)!* 

At the iii'st lihiiK-c it wnuld ^cciii tlust there is ii iiumifesi" 
error in the ti2;iires for ISCtlt, rhe j)ereeiitage of growth from 
that voar to the next beinu" so mneli o-reater than at any other 
periotl, but then the census of ISO'J was taken by the assessor 
and was based on the poi)uhition at the lirst of January of tliat 
year, whiU- that of 1870 was taken by the Tniti'd States com- 
missioner and shows the }»o])uhition on tlie first of June of that 
year, so that nearly a year and a half elapsed between the two 
enumerations. ISOU and 1870 were the years in which the 
government land was being taken so rapidly ly homesteaders, 
which accounts for the percentage of growth being so much 
more then than at any other time. ^\Vith this explanation one 
can understand that the figures for both years may be substan- 
tially correct. 

The total area of taxable land in t!ie county exclusive of town 
lots, is 235,206 acres. The adjusted actual value of lands au'I 
town lots for 1000 was $5,930,707, which being assessed at 25 
per cent of its actual value, makes the taxable value of real 
estate for that year, $1,484,802. The taxable value of the rail- 
roads in the county for that year was $140,305, and of personal 
property $270,120, thereby making the total taxable valuation 
of the county for that year $1,010,317, and the adjusted actual 
value $7,041,208. 

Since the first organization of the county in 1857 the ofiices 
ha\'e been tilled as follows: 

County Judge: 1857 to 1858, O. C. Howe; 1858 to 1862, 
l^onidas Congleton ; 1802 to 1804, J. D. Howe; 1804 to 1800, 
Ludwig Lewis; 1800 to 1808, H. C. Owen; 1808 to 1870, 
Samuel Pillsbury. 1']) to" isdl file t-onnty judges in Iowa 
transacted the county hnsines'^ and liad almost despotic power, 
but in ISCU the legislature transferred this power to the Board 
of Supervisoi"s, after which the duties of the county judge were 
merely nominal. The oHice was continued until 1808, when 



560 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

it was abolished ,and the then acting county judge was made 
ex Q-fficio county auditor for the balance of the unexpired tenri. 

Treasurer and Kecorder: 1857 to 1859, M. A. Blanchard; 
1859 to 1861, W. B. Brown; 1861 to 1865, James Ball; 1865 
to 1867, A. Kingman; 1867 to 1869, A. Jenkins; 1869 to 1873, 
M. J. Smith. The legislature in 1872 separated the offices of 
treasurer and recorder, making them two separate offices, the 
law taking effect January 1, 1873. The office of treasurer was 
held: 1872 to 1875, G. S. Needham; 1875 to 1886, A. W. Os- 
borne; 1886 to 1894, O. Oliver; 1894 to 1898, D. K Guthrie; 
1898 to 1902, J. C. Davis. During this latter period the office 
of recorder was held: 1873 to 1875, R. L. Wilcox; 1875 to 
1881, A. A. Mosher; 1881 to 1889, C. C. Perrin; 1889 to 1895, 
Harvey 'Wood; 1895 to 1903, C. W. Price. 

Clerk of the District Court: 1857 to 1859, R. A. Smith;. 
1859 to 1861, J. Palmer; 1861 to 1863, John Smith; 1863 
to 1865, R. A. Smith; 1865 to 1867, Orson Rice; 1867 to 1871, 
A. A. Mosher; 1871 to 1873, W. B. BroT\Ti; 1873 to 1879, J. 
A. Smith; 1879 to 1887, W. F. Pillsbury; 1887 to 1893, J. 
S. Everett; 1893 to 1897, V. A. Arnold; 1897 to 19.03, W. A. 
Price. From 1861 to 1869 the clerk of the district court was 
ex officio clerk of the Board of Supervisors, after which time 
this work was done by the county auditor. 

Sheriff: C. F. Hill was first sheriff of the county; elected 
in 1857. Following him was: 1859 to 1862, A. D. Arthur. 
From 1862 to 1870 it is difficult to ascertain how this office 
was filled, the records having been lost at the burning of the 
courthouse. Daniel Bennett had held the office at intervals 
before W. S. Beers was elected in tlic fall of 1869, and held 
until 1872. 1872 to 1873, L. A. Litel; 1873 to 1874, L. E. 
Holcomb; 1874 to 1876, A. L. Sawyer; 1876 to 1880, D. Ben- 
nett; 1880 to 1888, P. S. Mott; 1888 to 1892, A. D. Inman ; 



COUNTY OFFICERS 561 

1892 to 185)8, P. E. :N",arey; 1898 to 1900, J. C. Guthrie; 1900 
to present time, Fred Jones. 

County Attorney: 1857 to 1859, B. F. P,armenter. The 
legislature in 1858 abolished the office to take effect January. 
1, 1859, and a district attorney for the judicial district sub- 
stituted therefor. In 1888 the office was revived, and since 
that time has been held by the following persons: 1889 to 
1891, William Hayward; 1891 to 1895, A. W. Osborne; 1895 
to 1901, L. E. Francis; 1901 to the present, V. A. Arnold. 

County Surveyor: 1857 to 1858, Alfred Wilkins. Much of 
the time from 1858 to 18.70 this office was vacant, the duties 
being merely nominal. 1871 to 1873, W. B. Brown; 1874 to 
1870, W. F. Pillsbury; 1876 to 1878, Emmet F. Hill; 1878 
to 1882, R. A. Smith; 1882 to 1884, Fred Diserns; 1884 to 
1886, C. E. Everett; 1886 to 1888, R. A. Smith; 1888 to 1890, 
J. A. Smith; 1890 to 1894, R. A. Smith; 1894 to 1902, J. M. 
Johnson. 

County Auditor: The office of county auditor was establish- 
ed by the Twelfth General Assembly previous to which time 
the clerk of the district court Avas ex officio clerk of the Board 
of Supervisors. The first auditor elected in the county was 
Samuel Pillsbury, who served from 1870 to 1882. 1882 to 
1890, W. F. Carlton; 1890 to 1893, C. T. Chandler; 1893 to 
1897, AV. C. Drummond; 1897 to 1903, S. L. Pillsbury. 

Superintendent of Schools: Up to about 1870 the duties of 
this office were nominal and but little attention given to it. It 
was held by James Ball, John Smith and one or two others. 
Since that time it has been filled as follows: 1870 to 1875, 
A. (W. Osborne; 1875 to 1880, II. C. Crary; 1880 to 1886, R. 
A. Smith; 1886 to 1888, ;W. H. Armin; 1888 to 1894, R. B. 
Young; 1894 to the present time, H. A. iWelty. 

The law transferring tlie county business from the county 
judge to the Board of Supervisors went into force January 1, 
1861, since whieli time tlie Board of Supervisors have been: 



562 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

18G1, 11. Kingman, William Barkman, J. S. Prescott ; 180-», 
Thomas Wvckotf, Henrj Meeker, Addison Arthur ; 1863, T. 
Wyckoff, Henry Meeker, Eber Palmer; 1864, Thomas Wykoif, 
Henry Meeker, Eher Palmer; 1865, L. A. Stimpson, H. W. 
Davis, D. Bennett; 1866, L. A. Stimpson, H. W. Davis, Philip 
Doughty; 1867, L. A. Stimpson, H. ;W. Davis, Philip Doughty; 
1868, G. Blackert, G. 'W. Pratt, Philip Doughty; 1869, J. Sjier- 
beck, G. W. Pratt, W. D. Morton ; 1870, G. Blackert, W. D 
Morton, J. Palmer; 1871, G. Blackert, W. D. Morton; J 
Palmer; 1872, R. A. Smith, J. Palmer, W. D. Morton; 1873 
C. H. Ayers, R. A. Smith, G. S. Randall; 1874, G. S. Ran 
dall,iW. A. Richards, R. A. Smith; 1875, J. R. Upton, G. S 
Randall, W. A. Richards; 1876, W. A. Richards, J. R. Upton 

A. D. Foster; IS 77, J. R. Upton, A. D. Foster, L. W. Waugh 
1878, F. \V. Wangh, \V. F. Carlton, A. S. Mead; 1879, F 
W. Waugh, W. F. Carlton, A. S. Mead; 1880, F. W. Waugh 
\V. F. Carlton, A. S. ]\Iead ; 1881, F. W. AVaugh, W. F. Carl 
ton, A. S. Mead; 1882, I. S. Foster, O. Oliver, H 
Brandon; 1883, I. S. Foster, O. Oliver, W. H. Bailey 
1884, I. S. Foster, O. Oliver, W. H. Bailey; 1885, I. S. Fos- 
ter, G. P. Wodell, R. S. Ifopkins; 1886, I. S. Foster, G. P. 
Wodell, R. S. Hopkins; 1887, I. S. Foster, G. P. Wodell, R. 
S. Hopkins; 1888, J. Austin, G. P. Wodell, R. S. Hopkins; 
1889, F S. Foster, J. Austin, D. B. Smith; 1890, I. S. Foster, 
J. Austin, D. B. Smith; 1891, C. C. Gregory, H. Calkins, D. 

B. Smith; 1892, C. C. Gregory, H. Calkins, D. B. Smith; 
1 893, C. .C. Gregory, H. C. Wiley, D. B. Smith ; 1894, C. C. 
Gregory, H. C. Wiley, D. B. Smith; 1895, C. C. Gregory, 
H. C. Wiley, P. Rasmussen ; 1896, C, C. Gregory, O. S. Jones, 
P. Rasmussen; 1897, P. Hagerty, O. S. Jones, P. Rasmussen; 
1898, P. Hagerty, P. Rasmussen, O. S. Jones ; 1899, P. Ras- 
mussen, O. S. Jones, P. Hagerty; 1900, O. S. Jones, C. C. 
Gregory, P. Rasmussen; 1!H)1, (). S. Jones, C. C. GregDry, A. 
W. Bascom. 



DISTRICT OFFICERS 0fi3 

At tirst the supervisors were clectccl oiio from each organized 
to^\^lsllil), after the Xew Vnrk phin. In ISfis the change was 
made to elect the supervisors from the county at large. This 
jjlan was followed until 1900, when the county was divided into 
three districts, and each district elects a member of the board 
once in three years. Under the law a county can have three, 
five or seven supervisors, as they choose. It . is .also optional 
to elect them from the county at large or divide the county into 
districts,- and as before stated, this county was divided into 
three districts in 1900. 

iThe following district officers have also been elected from 
this county: In 1859 to 1863, O. C. Howe was district attor- 
n.ey; 1867 to 1871, O. Rice was district attorney; 1887 to 
1891, J. W. Cory w.as district attorney. House of Representa- 
tives : Tenth General Assembly, John Smith ; Twelfth Gen- 
eral Assembly, R. A. Smith ; Eighteenth General Assembly, 
W.B.Brown; Twenty-eighth General Asseuil)ly. 11. II. 
:\ryers. Senate, 1887 to 1899, A. B. Funk. 

The Eighteenth General Assembly created the office of As- 
sistant Fish Commissioner, which office was held by A. A. 
Mosher, of this county, until the office was abolished in 1888. 
In 1888 E. D. Carlton, of this county, was appointed Fish 
Commissioner by Governor Larrabee, and held the office two 
terms. The office of Steamboat Inspector was created about 
1886, and has l)cen held by residents of this county as follows; 
A. A. Henderson, E. (). Henderson, !Milo Brown, J. C. Chris- 
tensen, Arthur Arj*. 

!More statistics might be given were it deemed desirable, 
but unimportant figures soon become monotonous. Enough 
have been given from which to form a fairly intelligent idea 
of the growth and development of the county, and while this 
growth and development has not been as rapid or as marked 
as that of some other localities, it has been steady and sub- 
stantial and in the main satisfactory. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

THE MOA'UMENT LEGISLATION KELATIIS'G TO IT 

COMMISSIONEES APPOIXTED THEY ORGANIZE 

EX-GOVEKNOK CARPENTEK MADE PRESIDENT 

CONTRACT AWARDED TO P. N, PETERSON COM- 
PANY OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA MONUMENT 

COMPLETED REPORT OF COMMISSIONEES DEDI- 
CATION OF MONUMENT ADDRESSES BY R. A. 

SMITH, HON, C. E. FLANDRAU, OF ST. PAUL, HON. 
C. C. CARPENTER, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DUN- 
GAN, SECRETARY RICHARDS AND OTHERS PRE- 
SENTATION SPEECH BY GOVERNOR CARPENTER, 
PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION, AND THE MONU- 
MENT ACCEPTED ON BEHALF OF THE STATE BY 
HON. W. S. RICHARDS, GOVERNOR JACKSOn's PRI- 
VATE SECBETABY. 




OR SEVERAL years there had been among the old set- 
tlers a feeling in favor of erecting a suitable monument 
to the memory of the victims of the massacre of 1857, 
and as the years went by and as the people became more 
and more interested in preserving the history of that tragic 
event, this feeling became intensified and it remained for the 
Twenty-fifth General Assembly to take final and successful 
action in the matter. 

Doubtless one of the chief factors in aw.akening public sen- 
timent on this point was the procuring, largely through the 
efforts of Hon. Charles Aldrich, the memorial tablet in the 
Webster City courthouse which commemorates the labors and 
sufferings of the company from that town in the disastrous 
march to Spirit Lake in 1857 The dedication of this tablet 



THE MONUMENT * 565 

was an interesting occasion. Governor Larrabee presided an; I 
addresses were made by Ex-Governor Carpenter, Hon. J. F. 
Duncombe, Hon. C. B. Richards, Charles Aldrich and many 
bthers, .and much enthnsiasm prevailed. This seemed to be 
the first awakening of the people to the fact that the most tragic 
event in the history of Iowa had hitherto received but little 
notice. 

The Spirit Lake Beacon of July 25, 1895, in referring to 
this subject, has the following : 

"Measures looking to this end had been previously introduced 
and received the sanction of one legislative branch, but it re- 
mained for thf> last assembly to make the laudable enterprise 
successful. Following is the law in, question: 

" *An act to provide for the proper interment of the remains 
of pioneers on Okoboji and Spirit Lakes, massacred by the 
Sioux Indians in 1857, and for the erection of a commemo- 
rative monument. 

" 'Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of 
loiva : 

" 'Section 1. That there is hereby .appropriated out of any 
money in the state treasury not otherwise appropriated the 
sum of five thousand dollars or so much thereof as may be neces- 
sary for the purposes hereinafter provided. 

" 'Sec. 2. That the remains of all persons killed by Inkpa- 
dutah's band of Sioux Indians in the vicinity of the Dickinson 
County lakes, in March, 1857, be collected and properly in- 
terred. 

" 'Sec. 3. That a monument fittingly commemorative of this 
tragic event be erected, upon which shall be inscribed the names 
of all persons who lost their lives at that time at the hands of 
the savages. 

" 'Sec. 4. That grounds suitable for these purposes shall 
be selected near the scene of the tragedy, title to which shall 
be acquired and remain in the state of Iowa. 

" 'Sec. 5. That said grounds shall be purchased, re-inter- 
ments made and monument erected before the 4th dav of Julv, 
1805. 




jrON L'M KN T COM M ISSION . 



TllK LAW FOR ITS ERECTION 567 

" 'Sec. <i. A special commission composed of live members 
sliall be appointed by the governor of the state to carry out the 
provisions of this act, and to take all needful action in the prem- 
ises consistent with the spirit of the statute. They shall h.ave en- 
tire mnnaucnicnt and control of the funds herein appropriatcii, 
which shall be paid out on bills approved by the commission. 
They shall tile with the auditor of state a full and complete 
account of all expenditures, and shall .also report to the gov- 
ernor rlunr [jroceedings in this connection ujjon the conij)lctiou 
of their labors. The said commission shall serve without com- 
pensation.' 

''Only four negative votes were cast in the senate and but few 
in the house. The bill .as introduced named the commissioners, 
but to please a captious legislator, this clause was stricken 
out upon the floor. Governor Jackson, however, promptly 
appointed as commissioners the parties originally named, to- 
wit : Hon. C. C. Carpenter, Hon. John F. Duncombe, Hon. 
R. A. Smith, Mrs. Abbie Gardner Sharp and lion. Charles 
Aldrich. The commission proceeded to the ]K'rform,ance of its 
iduties practically and vigorously. Though given until the 
fourth of July to complete the work, the structure was read;, 
to turn over by the contractors early in the spring. Speaking 
of construction, it may be said that in material and workman- 
ship it is uj) to the best stand.ards. The shaft is fifty-five feet 
in height, composed of ]\rinnesota granite, with alternate sec- 
tions highly polished. The base upon which the pile rests is 
fourteen by fourteen feet, the lower course in the shaft is five 
by five feet. The top is in the form of an arrow head. 

''The inscriptions are upon bronze tablets about thirty by forty 
inches, even more durable than granite, .and arc given below: 



(North Tablet) 



(West Tablet) 




ERECTED BY ORDER OF THE 

TWENTY-FIFTH GENERAL 

ASSEMBLY OF THE 

STATE OF IOWA 



(East Tablet) 



The Pioneer Settlers named below were 
Massacred by Sioux Indians, March 8-13, 
1857. The Barbarous Work was Commenced 
Near this Spot and Continued to a Spot 
North of Spirit Lake. 

Robert Clark, Rowland Gardner, Francis M, Gard- 
ner, Rowland Gardner, .Jr , Carl Granger, Joseph 
Harshman, Isaac H. Harriutt, .loel Howe Millie 
Howe, Jonathan Howe, Sardis Howe, Alfred 
Howe, Jacob Howe, Philetus Howe, Harvey Luce, 
Mary M. Luee, Albert Luce, Amanda Luce, Wm. 
Marble, James H. Mattock, Mary M. Mattock. Alice 
Mattock, Daniel Mattock, Agnes Mattock, Jacob M. 
Mattock. Jackson A. Mattock, Robert .Matthesen, 
Lydia Noble, Alvin Noble, John Noble, Enoch Ryan, 
Bertel E. Snyder, Joshua Stewart, wife and two 
children, Elizabeth Thatcher, Dora Thatcher, Wm. 
Wood, George Wood. 



MEMORANDA 

Mrs. Marparet Ann Marble, Mrs. Lydia 
Noble, Mrs. Eli/.abeih Thatcher and Miss 
Abbie Gardner were <"arried into captivity. 
Mrs. Marl)le was rescued May 21st and Miss 
Gardner ,lune 27, 18o7, throufih the efforts of 
Gov. Sam Meiary and Hon. Charles E. Fland- 
rau, of Minnesota. 

Mrs. Noble and Mrs. Thatcher were mur- 
dered by the Indians. 



Rostpi- of the relief expedition, Fort Dodge. 
March 24, 1S57. 

Major Wm. Williams, Commanding. 

COMPANY A 

C. B. Rich:irds. Ciipt.; F. A. Siratton, 1st 
Lieut.; L. K. Wiighi. Srtrt ; Solon Mnson. Cor. 

Privatks— Wm. Buikholder, G. W. Brizee. C. C. 
Carpenter, L, D. Crawford, Julius Conrad Henry 

Cnrse. ('batterton, Wm. Defore, J. W, Dawson, 

Wm. Ford. John Farney, .John Gales, Andrew Hood, 
Angus McBane, Wm. McCauley, Michael Maher, E. 
Mahan. W. P. Pollock, W F. Porter, B. F. Parmeu- 
ter, L. B, Ridgeway, Winton Smith, R, A, Smith, 
Geo. P. Smith, O. S. Spencer, C. Stebbins. Silas 
Van Cleave, R. U. Wheelock, D. Westerfield. 

COMPANY B 

.Tohn F. Buncombe. Cnpt ; .Tames Lane, 1st 
Lieut : S C. Stevfns, 2d Lieut., w. N Kouns, 
^ergt.; Thomas Cii lagan. Corporal. 
■ Privates— James Addington. A, Burtcli, Hiram 
Benjamin, D.H. Baker. Orlando Bice, Richard Car- 
ter, A. E. Crounse, R. F.Carter, Michael Cavanaugh, 
Jere Evans, John Heffley, O.C, Howe. D. P Howell, 
A. S. Johnson, Jonas Murray, Daniel Morrisey. G. P. 
McClure, A. H. Malcome. .Vlichael McCarty, J. N, 
McFarland, Robt. McCormick, John O'Laughlin, 
Daniel Okeson. Guernsey, Smith, J. M. Thatcher, 
W. Searles, John White, Washingion Williams, 
Reuben Whetstone. 

COMPANY 

.1. C. .Tohnson, Capt.; .1. N. Maxwell, 1st 
Lieut ; F. B Mason, 2d Lieut.; H. Hoover, 
Sergt.; A. N. Hathaway, Corporal. 

Privates— Thos. Anderson, James Brainard, T. B. 
Bonebright. Sherman Cassady, W. L. Church. Pat- 
rick <"onlan, H, E Dallev. John Erie. Jnhn Gates, 
Josiah Griffith, James Hickev, H C. Hillock. M. W, 
Howland, E. D, Kellogg, W. K. Laughlin, A. S, 
Leonard, F. R. Moody, John Nowlaud. J. C. Pember- 
snn. Alonzo Richardson, Michael Sweeney, Patrick 
Stafford. A. K. Tullis. 
(i. R. BissELi., Surgon, G. B. Sherman, Com'ary. 



(South Tablet) 



Captain J. C. Johnson, of Webster City, and 
Wm. Burkholder, of Fort Dodge, were frozen 
to death on the return march in Palo Alto 
County, April 4, 18.57. 



Persons Who Fled from the Altackoa Spring- 
field, Minn., and were Rescued by the 
Relief Expedition: 

John Bradshaw. David Carver. Mrs. S. J. Church 
and two children, Eliza Gardner, Geo. Granger, 
Mrs. Harshman and children, Mr. Harshman (son 
of preceding) and wife, Morris Markham, Mrs, Wil- 
liam Nelson and child, Jareb Palmer, A. B. Shieg- 
ley, J, B. Skinner and wife. Mr. Smith and wife, 
Dr. E. B. N. Strong, wife and two children, John 
Stewart, Drusilla Swanger, J, B. Thomas, wife 
and five children. 



REPOKT OF MONUMENT COMMISSION 509 

All of the essential details relative to the building of the 
monnnient are contained in the report of the commissioners 
to the Governor, made July 4, 1895, which is given below: 

"EEPORT OF THE OKOEOJI AXD SPIRIT LAKE 
M ( )X I \M EXT ( OMM 1 SS [( )X. 

"Sir — 'The undersigned conunissioners having in charge 
the matter of erecting the monument to the memory of the 
pioneer ^settlers massacred by Sioux Indians in the vicinity of 
Okoboji and Spirit Lakes, in 1857, in respectfully submitting 
their linal re])ort, deem it proper to a full understanding of 
the subject to copy the legislation relating thei-eto, as follows: 

(This act has already been given.) 

"As soon as practicable after receiving our commissions we 
met at the Buncombe House in Fort Dodge, and afterwards 
at the residence (Gardner cabin) of Mrs. Abbie Gardner 
Sharp, near Lake Okoboji, where the massacre was commenced 
on the 8th day of March, 1857. An organization was effected 
by appointing Cyrus C. Carpenter, chairman, Mrs. Abbie 
Gardner Sharji, secretary; Cliarles Ahlrich, assitant secre- 
tary, and John F. Buncombe, attorney. The first action of 
the commission after organizing was to decide upon the loca- 
tion, which w.as fixed on the lot south of that owned by Mrs. 
Sharp — provided it could be secured without expense to the 
state. 1'liis lot, 100x180 feet, was owned by the Okolioji South 
Beach Company, who promptly conveyed it as a free gift to the 
state of Iowa for this purpose. An advertisement was then 
prepared Jind published in several newspapers asking for plans 
and bids for the erection of the proposed monument, the com- 
missioners reserving to themselves the right to accept any plan 
or bid or reject all that might be made. The meeting for the 
examination of the plans and bids took place at the Gardner 
cabin on tlie 20th day of June, 1894. T^pon a full and careful 
examination of the several ]>ropositions, many of which pos- 
sessed high merit, it was decided to accept that of P. 1^. Peter- 
son, doing business under the name of P. X. Peterson Granite 
Company, of St. Paul, ^Tinn. This contemplated a shaft fifty- 
five feet liigh above the foundation, in alternate blocks of rough 
and polished ^Minnesota granite, with a die of GxO feet, upon 
which should be placed four bronze tablets — for the sum of 
J^4,500. The inscriptions placed upon the tablets may bo de- 



570 



DICKINSON COUNTY 



IOWA 




scribed as follows : On the east, the list of murdered settlers ; 
on the west, a complete roster of the relief expedition com- 
manded by Major William Williams ; on the south, historical 
memoranda relatini;' to the loss of Captain J. C. Johnson and 
Private W. E. Burkholder, the list of settlers who escai>od 
from SiDringfield (now Jackson), Minn., etc. ; .and on the north, 
the coat of arms of Iowa, with these words: 'Erected by order 
of the Twenty-fifth General Assembly of the State of Iowa.' 

"While the time for the completion of the entire work as 
stipulated in the act w.as fixed for the 4th of July, 1895, it was 
completed and ready for acceptance in March preceding that 
date. A meeting was therefore held on the monument grounds 
on the 14th day of March, 1805, at which the work was care- 
fully examined .and formally accepted by the commission, the 
contractor's bill for the cost of its erection apnrovod, ;ind the 
auditor of state requested to issue his Avarrant upon the state 
treasury for the payment thereof. In this connection it is but 
jnst to say that, in the judgment of the commission, ^fr. Peter- 



REPORT OF MONUMENT COMMISSION 571 

son carried tuit ovcrv !5ti})ulatioii oi liis buml and cdiit i-act, giving 
to our state a work wliieli in its beauty of design and durability 
of its material, and the honesty with whieh it was built, is with- 
out a rival in the Northwest. This is also the unaninnMH 
judgment of .all who have examined the monument. 

"To Mr. E.. A. Smith of the commission was assigned the 
duty of grading the grounds, superintending the construction 
of the monument, including the foundation, and gathering to- 
gether and re-interring the remains of the murdered persons. 
These last were buried in one broad grave on the east front of 
the monument. 

"To Charles Aldrich was assigned the work of preparing 
the inscriptions for the tablets. 

"The following is a recapitulation of the expenses incurred 
and paid in this undertaking: 

J. & R. Lamb, for tablet designs and drawings $ 30.00 

'The contract price paid to P. IST. Peterson 4,500.00 

Ex]>enses allowed to C. C. Car|jenter 40.07 

Expenses allowed to John F. Duneoni])e 11.00 

Expenses allowed to Jl. A. Smith 252. SS 

Expenses allowed to !Mrs. Abliie Gavdnei- Shai']). . . . llS.:}.') 
Ex])enses allowed to Charles Aldrich 44.82 

Total ' $4,91>7.70 

Amount of appropriation 5.000.00 

Balance unexpended 2.30 

"In concluding their duties the commission respectfully l)(>g 
to suggest that provision should be made by the legislature for 
providing the monument lot with a permanent fence. Regula- 
tions should also be made for the a]ip(u'ntniont of .a custodian 
and the care of the grounds. 

"All of which is respectfnllv submitted. 

"Tulv 4. 1S04. !.,. n n 

( YRrs L. (Jarpenter, 

"ToiIX F.' DUXCO.MBE, 
"RODERIOK A. S^riTH, 

"Abbte Gardner Sharp. 
"C^ii.vRi-E.s Aldrich. 

"Commissioners. 
"Tn TTov. Fi;a\k T). Jacksox. 

"Governor of Towa. 

"Des Moines." 



572 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Tliis r('i)oi"t was made on the fourth of Jiilv, l)nt was not 
filed wirli the Governor until the sixteenth of October. The 
time set for dedicating the monnment and turning it over to 
the state was the twenty-fifth of Jidy. The commissioners wore 
all present on that occasion except ]\Ir. Buncombe, who w-as in 
Europe. The following description of the dedication of the 
mniiniuent is from the Spirit Lake Beacon of July 20, 1895: 

"THE MOXUMEXT DEDICATED. 

"in the presence of a mlfltidude the historic granite is 
formally presented to the state by governor 

carpenter and accepted by LIEUTENANT GOV- 
EKXOR DUNGAN AND PRIVATE SECRETARY 

RICHARDS SPEECHES BY JUDGE FLAN- 

DRAU^ HON. R. A. SMITH AND 
OTHERS. 

"The lake region witnessed yesterday a most unique and in- 
teresting ceremony. It was a ceremony which brought face 
to face with history over five thousand people who flocked by 
excursion train, and wagon, and boat, and bike from the country 
within a radius of fifty miles to monument place, near Arnold's 
Park. In Massachusetts, where trod the armies of the Revolu- 
tion and where lived the great patriots of those stirring times, 
it is not strange to see shafts of luarble to commemorate the 
achievements of the patriots of tliat day. Somehow we feel 
that because a century or more has removed them from us that 
only there can we reach out and touch with our very hand 
heroic history. But yesterday, on the shore of beautiful West 
Okoboji, sun-kissed and breeze-fannod, a shining pearl in the 
great heart of the waving green and sheaved gold of the agri- 
cultural Xorthwest, although l)ut thirty-eight years have wrought 
■out their drama of life, history stood forth in its crystalliza- 
tion and granite and bronze and five thousand ]x»ople reached 
out their hands and touched the hem of her garment. 

"historic CHARACTERS. 

"And it w.as not only a large crowd of people who gathered 
to witness the ceremonies of dedication of the monument. It 
was a historic gathering. On the stage were Ex-Grovernor Car- 
penter, who marched with the relief expedition from Fort 



DKDICATION OF THK MONUMENT 573 

Dodgv, Mud whu ill tliat short campaign endured more actual 
suffering and privation than in all liis four years' ex])ericiico 
in cami) and march during the Rebellion; Judge Hendershott, 
of Ottnmwa, one of the iirst district judges in the new state 
of Iowa ; Mrs. I. A. Thomas, one of the survivors of the Spriiig- 
iield attack, whose eight-year-old son, Willie, w.as killed, and 
whose husband lost an arm in the repulse of the reds; Jareb 
Palmer, who was in the Thomas cabin and assisted in repuls- 
ing the Indians, and who now lives at Lakefield, in Minne- 
sota ; Hon. K. A. Smith, president of the day, who is the old- 
est pioneer here, one of the relief party to bury the 
dead; Hon. Charles Aldrich, who was then in the east 
for liis printing outfit for the ITamilton Frocman, the Web- 
ster City paper founded by him, and who now is bending all 
his energies to the preservation of historic records of Iow.a; 
Hon. Charles E. Flandrau, the Indian agent who rescued Abbie 
Gardner; Chetanmaza, the Dacotah bravo, whose shrewdness 
accomplislicd the redemption of the girl Abbie Gardner; Mrs. 
'Abbie (Jardner Sharp, the girl of 13, the sole survivor of the 
Spirit Lake massacre, who was ta'ken captive and who now 
lives in the original calun of her father-, in which he and the 
rest of his family were killed; (^ol. Warren S. Dungan, lieu- 
tenant governor of Iow.a ; W. S. Kichards, Governor Jackson's 
private secretary; State Auditor ^FcCarthy, Senator "Rowen, 
of Clarion; Judge Given, of the supreme court; Senator Hen- 
drrsciii of Pocahontas, and a number of others. 

"the exercises. 

"On the platform a little northwest of the monument these 
historic characters, state officials, speakers and musicians had 
their ])1aces. The crowd was comfortably seated — all who 
could secure seats when the exercises began — when Chairman 
Smith's watch said two o'clock, with a few preliminary an- 
nouncements, he asked Rov. John F. Poweii, a member of the 
last senate, to offer invocation, who brcntlit'd a bcantifnl bene- 
diction upon the gi'cat assembly. The president then gave the 
preliiiiiiiary address of the exercises, as follows: 

" Toadies and Gentlemen: It is unnecessary for me to re- 
capitulate the eirenmstances or ennmer.-ite the reasons for our 
assembling here today. All are more or less familiar with the 
history of the events we have met tf> eoninieniorate and it is not 
r.of'essarv at tlii-; time to enter into ;i (leti'iled account of the 



574 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

bloody tragedy which thirty-eight years ago was enacted on 
this very spot. It has pleased the state of Iowa, through her 
legally chosen representatives, to provide for the erection of 
a suitable monument to commemorate the labors, sufferings 
and sacrifices of the devoted band of pioneers who in an early 
day pushed out far beyond the confines of civilization and en- 
deavored to build homes for themselves and their posterity in 
this land of romance and this region of mystery, and who, after 
suffering incredible hardships, fell victims to governmental 
stupidity and stubbornness on the one hand and savage ferocity 
on the other. 

"It is difficult now to comprehend ,the circumstances or divine 
the motives which induced these early pioneers to thus turn their 
backs upon civilization and put so many miles of trackless 
prairie between themselves and the settled portions of the 
country. But such has ever been the story of the American 
pioneer. 

"There seeons to have arisen at this time all over the country 
an awakened interest in the history of im])ortant events and 
a desire to perpetuate and transmit that history to coming 
generations. This spirit is manifesting itself in different places 
by the erection of memorials and monuments upon historic spots 
made memorable by deeds of noble daring, of patient endur- 
ance and heroic suffering. 

" Many of the states are erecting monuments upon the prin- 
cipal battle grounds of the late war wherever their OAvn bravo 
regiments fought hardest or lost heaviest, and it is but meet 
.and proper that the state of Iowa, while she is spending her 
hundreds of thousands of dollars in giving fitting recognition 
to the glorious deeds of her brave soldiers and sailor? who 
fought and bled on so many battlefields, should also in her sov- 
ereign capacity give recognition to the smaller and less pre- 
tentious, though not less deserving, band of patriots and heroes 
who, taking their lives in their hands, struck far out on her 
northwestern l)order and after braving dangers such as fall to 
the lot of but few, finally gave their lives as a sacrifice to their 
intrepidity and courage. 

"It is meet and fitting that to the pioneer the same as the sol- 
dier should be accorded the meed of praise and recognition, 
and the erection on this spot of this beautiful column is a just, 
though long delayed, tribute io the memory of the brave and 
hardy, though unpretentious and unpretending, band of set- 



TRELIMINARY ADDRESS 575 

tiers who sacrificed their lives in their attempts to hiiild tlieiu 
homes on this then far away northwestern frontier. 

■* Where is the guoil, it may be asked, of these memorial ser- 
vices (' AVe can do nothing for the dust and ashes sm >nlfl('riiic 
there. 'Tis true, and yet we have high authority for memorial 
services. iWhen the great Creator finished his work and saw 
that it was good, ho decreed that as a memorial of that event 
one day in seven should be set apart as a perpetual rem i ne'er 
of the great .achievement. When the waters of the fiood receded 
from the base of Mount Ararat, God made a covenant with 
man as a memorial or reminder of that event, and said : "I do 
set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for .a toJicn of a cove- 
nant between me and the earth and it shall come to pass when 
I bring a cloud over the earth that the boio shall be seen in the 
cloud and the bow shall be in the cloud.' 

" So in His dealings with His chosen people many and sig- 
nificant are the memorial occasions established by divine 
.authority. The feast of the Passover, the feast of Pentacost, 
the feast of the Tabernacles and many other festival occasions 
were memorials commemorating the interposition of the Al- 
mighty Power for the deliverance of His people. When the 
greatest of all earthly tragedies was nearing completion, .and 
the Savior of men gave to His disciples the emblems of His 
broken body and spilled blood, and admonished them 'Do this 
in remembrance of Me,' He established a memorial occasion 
that has been faithfully observed by His followers in all parts 
of the world' for near two thousand years. 

" Also in our time we have our memorial occasions, establish- 
ed by stat^ or government authority, or the common consent 
and usage of our people. Only two years ago we witnessed at 
the White City the wonderful spectacle of all civilized *n.ations 
bringing together their choicest treasures and j)lacing them on 
exhibition as a memorial commemorating the trials and tri- 
umphs of the great Admiral whose genius, courage and forti- 
tude opened the way for the development of the American con- 
tinent The general observance of our national birthday as a 
memorial occasion is but a fulfillment of the prophecy of old 
John Adams on the floor of Congress when ho said, 'We will 
make this a glorious and immortal day.' 

"Another memorial occasion in which our people manifest 
deep interest is our soldiers' memorial day, the day on wliicb 
by common consent our people meet to strew the garlands of 



576 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

affection and grateful remembrance on the graves of our fallen 
neroes. Thus have I noticed a few of the memorial occasions 
which have come to be generally recognized and observed. 
Courage and hardihood, intrepidity and self-denial, suffering 
and sacrifice, all these have in all ages been deemed worthy the 
meed of praise and recognition, and whether exhibited by the 
victorious general at the head of his .army on the field of battle, 
or the humble and unpretentious settler on the northwestern 
border, are equally worthy the respect and admiration of a 
grateful people. 

" When we contemplate the dangers braved, the hardsliips 
and ])riv.ations endured, and the final suffering and sacrifice 
which fell to the lot of the victims whose dust and ashes have 
been gathered together and interred in this historic spot, we 
can but feel that at the best the ceremonies and' memorial ex- 
ercises of the present occasion would ])e but a lame and im- 
perfect tribute to the brave deeds they are intended to peri)et- 
uate, were it not for the fact that in paying the last sad tri^Jute 
of respect to the memory of the victims of savage hate and bar- 
barity, we are jjaying a deserved tribute to courage and self- 
denial, endurance and self-sacrifice wherever found, and our 
exercises on tliis dccasion would l)e little better than hollow 
mockery. 

" But we have reason to congratulate ourselves that there is 
a growing interest felt by the people of Iowa in the history and 
destiny of her early pioneers, and the building of this beauti- 
ful monument on this spot made historic by the blood of the 
victims, who here risked their lives and lost them, is but the 
logical expression of that awakened interest. Let us hope that 
this awakening is not ejjhemeral or temporary, l)ut tliat it ma\ 
result in rescuing fi-om oldivion much in the liistory of our 
state that has l)een neglected or forgotten. Tlie story told by 
this memorial shaft is but a faint expression of the toils en- 
dnred, the dangers lu-aved and the sacrifices made by the nn- 
fortiinate victims wliose remains lie buried lioi-c, l)nr it ]»oiiits 
toward heaven and fitly expresses the liojx's and aspirations of 
unfold generations yet to come. 

"The TTarker family rendered a selection of ninsic and then 
the ])r('sident introduced Judge Charles E. Flandrau, the In- 
dian agent who rescue(l ^Irs. Alibie Gardner Sliarji. Cliair- 
nian Smith intr<iduced him as the man who did more to defend 
tlie frontiei- than anv other man. livinii' or dead. .Indire Flandr:vi 



ADURKSS BY .IL'DOE FLANURAU 



577 




\ 



HON. C. K. KLANDRAU. 



said \iv tli'l not propose r.i iiiiikc a spcccli, Imt would give a sim- 
ple n.ai-rative of tlu' events wliicli were conmH'iiiorated today. 
He gave a trenchant pen picrnri' of the jjioneer and then nar- 
rated the part he took in the rescuing of Mrs. Sharp. He re- 
counted the facts of the massacre, the flight of the Indians with 
their cai)tives, the fruitless expedition of the Fort Dodge relief 
regiment, and the ransom of ^frs. Sharp for $1,000 in blan- 
kets, etc., which Indians needed. Perhaps the most interest- 
ing part of his address, because ii answered an oft asked ques- 
tion, was concerning the inimunitv of th<' Indians. It has been 
often asked, s;ii<l Judge Flaudrau, "why the govcninicnt never 



578 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



did auything to puuish these marauding savages. The answer 
is plain : Colonel Alexander and myself had a well matured 
plan to attack Inkpadutah the instant we learned the fate of 
the captive women. We had five companies of the Tenth in- 
fantry at our disposal and could easily have destroyed his en- 
tire band, but, unfortunately, just before we were ready to 
move on the enemy, the whole garrison was ordered to Fort 
Bridger, Utah, to aid General Albert Sydney Johnson's com- 
mand in the suppression of an anticipated Mormon outbreak, 
and before any available troops came to our frontier to rej^lace 
them, Inkpadutah and his peof)le had passed out of recollection. 
These malefactors did not, however, go entirely unwhipj^ed of 
justice. About the latter days of June of the same year of the 
massacre, I learned of the presence of some of Inkpadutah's 
people at the Yellow Medicine River, who had come over with 
a large force of Missouri River Sioux. I at once fitted out a 
■^'olunteer force of young fellows about the Agency, got fifteen 
soldiers and a lieutenant from the fort, and attacked the cfiniD 
where they were located, and succeeded in killing Inkpadutah's 
eldest son, who had been active in all the mischief; and so ended 
a very interesting episode in the early history of Iowa and 
Minnesota. It is safe to say that our Indian troubles are now 
over, and while we may find cause for rejoicing in this fact, 
we are compelled to recognize that the advance of civilization, 
which has annihilated the frontier and disposed of the savages, 
lias £)lso removed the active theater of the pioneer, and thus 
•destroyed the most adventurous, interesting and picturesque 
character in American history.' 

''^COL. W. S. DUNGAN SPEAKS. 

"Chairman Smith aTmounced that Hon. O. C. HoM^e, one of 
the first men to spread a report of the massacre, who was on 
the program, could not be present, but that his paper would be 
published. He then introduced Lieutenant Governor Dungan, 
who, on behalf of Governor Jackson, was present to accept the 
monument with ]\Ir. Richards, the governor's private secretary. 
He congratulated the commission on giving to the state such 
an elegant shaft at so remarkably small cost ; praised the hero- 
ism of the pioneer, dwelt with considerable eloquence upon the 
scenery about the spot, and commended the spirit of appre- 
ciation of heroic services of the pioneer. 



GOVERNOR CARPENTER AND HON. W. S. RICHARDS 579 

"KX-GOVEKNOK CAltPKNTJiU 

was announced to present the niounnient to the state, repre- 
sented by Colonel Dungan and Private Secretary Richards. In 
diction, appropriateness for the occasion and rugged thought, 
it was the gem of the day. It w.as a resume of the work of the 
eoniniission. In their plans and construction of the shaft, 
Minnesota granite was chosen, both for the historic sentiment 
of Minnesota's good offices and because it was better and cheaper 
than eastern granite. He thanked God that Judge Flandrau 
and Chetanmaza could be here to participate in the celebra- 
tion of the occasion which makes them certain characters in 
history. He accredited the design of the tablets, the collection 
of the names and data to Mr. Aldrich, paying him a glowing 
tribute for his efficient work. Closing he saidr ^And now the 
monument passes into the custody of the state to be cared for 
and protected as an object lesson in history for the generation?, 
to come. It not only commemorates the great tragedy which 
crimsoned the waters of these lakes, but it will keep alive the 
memory of a species of American character which will soon 
become extinct. As we look away to the west, we are impressed 
that there is no longer an American frontier ; and when tte 
frontier shall have faded away, the pioneer will live only in 
history, and in the monuments* which will preserve his memory.' 
"the moxumen't accepted. 

"Governor Jackson's private secretary, Hon. W. S. Richards, 
was presented and accepted the monument in behalf of the 
state. He spoke of the act of the Twenty-fifth General Assem- 
bly as follows : 

" 'This l)ill,' continued Mr. Ricli.ards, Svas approved by his 
excellency, Governor Jackson, March 30, 1894, and on April 
10th he appointed Cyrus C. Carpenter of Fort Dodge, R. A. 
Smith of Okoboji, Charles Aldrich of Des Moines, John F. 
l)niiconil)p of F(»rt Dodge, and Abbic Gardner Sharp of Oko- 
boji, a commission to carry out the provisions of this act. How 
faithfully they have performed the duties assigned them this 
beautiful shaft and its surroundings speak for themselves. 
The successful completion of this monument is due to the fact 
that every member of the commission was identified with the 
early settlement and growth of this part of Iowa, and that 
some of them were actual participants in the stirring events 
of which this monument is commomorativc. Hon. C. C. Car- 



580 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

peiiter, twice governor of his state, twice elected to congress, 
and wlio lias held many other positions of trnst and confidence, 
but of all his public services I believe there is none of Avhich 
he is ]3rouder today than that he carried a gun in the Spirit 
Lake expedition of 1857. 

" 'Rodney. A. Smith, a pioneer of Spirit Lake ; a member of 
his state legislature, .a man of character and ability who bore 
the burdens and hardships of the pioneer settler ; a man favor- 
ably known and highly esteemed by all; a gentleman who has 
done much to preserve the history of the event ; also a mem- 
ber of the expedition that went to the rescue of the settlers. 

" 'Charles Aldrich, a pioneer settler of Hamilton County, 
the founder and editor of the Hamilton Freeman, chief clerk 
of the Iowa house of representatives in the years 1860, 1862, 
1866 and 1870; a mend)er of his state legislature in 1882; 
founder (jf the Iowa Historical Department and its present 
curator, and who is now devoting .all tlie energies of a trained 
mind and zealous heart to the work of preserving for future 
generations the glorious annals of a glorious state, which is to 
be the monument he will leave to those who shall come after 
bim. 

" 'John F. Duncombo, another early pioneer of Webster 
(.'ounty who commanded Company B, which was one of the 
companies that hastened to the defense and relief of the sorely 
pressed settlers of this community, and who came near losing 
his life through exposure during that camjuiign, and who since 
that time both as a legislat(U- and citizen has left his impress 
upon the laws and institutions of his state. 

" 'Abbie Gardner Sharp, the sole survivor of that terrible 
uiassacre, whose presence here today, together with her friend, 
Chetanmazaj who w.as her rescuer and defender during the 
darkest and lunst terrible hours of her life, mlds a living inter- 
est to this occasion. 

" 'This commission needs no words of coiniiiciidation at iiiv 
hands. To say they have discharged each and every duty well 
is onlv f'li'itlv cxprcs^iiiij- that which is due them. The labor 
they linv;' ]);'rforni;Ml ;nid tlio time that they have given plau- 
iiiiig and crectiiiij this iiKumiiiciit bus b(';'ii a l;d)ir of love to 
tlie memories r)f those wlio were s(( crncllv uiassacrc*! l)v Ivk- 
padutah's savaci' band. 

•" "Tm nccordnii'-!' with the act i)assed bv tbo Ct""m-!i1 As'^'^ni- 
111 v. thc'v are to receive no compensation for tlieir services. 



TELEGUAM FKOM HON'. I. 1'. DUNro.MHK 581 

Tlicy will, liowt'Vt'r, in the wars to coiik' rvccive Iroui those 
who dwell liere aiul from those wlio visit this l)cautiful lake 
country each retiiruing year, the benediction. 'Well done, good 
and faithful sen^ants." 

"One of the pleasant things of the event was a telegram from 
Hon. John F. Diincombe, who could uot get over from Lon- 
don, Euffland, vesterdav to attend the ceremonies. It was as 
follows : 

" 'Lu.NDox, Exot.AM), Jllv 2'). 
'" 'To Hon. C. C. Cai'i^euter, President of Spirit Lake Monu- 
ment Commission : 

" 'I congratulate you and my colleagues of the commission on 
the final .act of dedication and unreiling of the monument which 
commemorates the most im])ortant and saddest event in the his- 
tory of our beloved Iowa. All glory and honor to the noble 
pioneers who died ; to those who lost their lives in the effort to 
rescue the stin'ivors, .and to the great-hearted and hapjn ])eoph' 
who have commemorated these worthy deeds. Cod bless Iowa. 
My wife joins me in every sentiment. 

" MoHN F. DlXCOMBK.' 

"a poem axd picture. 

"Mrs. C. H. Bennett, of Pipestone, ^finn., then recited n 
beautiful poem, historic in incident and lofty in patriotism. 
While the choir was rendering more music the two Indians 
Chetanmaza and Marpiyahdinape were escorted to the platform 
by ^^frs. Sharp and a photograph was taken of the whole scene, 
monument, Indians, commissioners, etc. Short speeches were 
then made by Hon. A. V. Stout of Grundy County and Sam G. 
Sloane, of Charles City. Mrs. Thomas, her son and ^fr. Pal- 
mer, survivors of the Springfield fight, were introduced and 
applauded, and the exercises which commemorates the first 
state monument were .at a successful end." 



CHAPTEK XLIV. 



COJsTCLUSIOX. 




\KING a retrosj^ective view of the events of the last half 
century, we can see spread out before us with clean cut 
distinctness the Inany and varied changes incident to the 
transition of a country from the favorite rendezvous of a 
band of roving savages to the no less favorite resort of the cul- 
tured and refined devotee of fashionable society, and as we give 
scope to the imagination the changing pictures that come and go 
form a panorama, strange, unique, novel .and interesting. The 
first scene in our moving picture is of a native population ft>llow- 
ing the various occupations of savage life, and carrying out in 
their primitive way, their own peculiar ideas of the attainment 
of human happiness. We think of the lake region as having been, 
during the early half of the century just closed, the favorite 
resort of a roving, marauding band of Yankton Sioux, who, 
for untold generations, had held this fair domain as all their 
own, and from here as headquarters had conducted their preda- 
tory excursions far and wide in every direction. 

As the lakes are now in their season the acknowledged cen- 
ter of the fashionable social life of our time, so but one genera- 
tion ago were they the acknowledged center of the s.avage life 
which tlien doniinntod this region. The conditions were ideal. 
The vast herds of elk and buffalo which roamed undisturbed 
over the boundless ])rairies, the countless myriads of water 
fowl tliat in tlieir annual migrations invari.ably made the lakes 
a temporary resting place each spring and fall, together with 
the innuonse schools of fish inhabiting the crystal waters, these 
things combined made it possible for roving savages to secure 
the simple necessities of their mode of lifo witli little exertion 



CONCLUSION 




on tlieir part. Indeed, it would be difficult to imagine oon- 
ditions more peculiarly fitted to the support and enjovment of 
tlie primitive life of these roving bands, than those existing here 
at the time of the advent of the first white adventurers. What 
wonfler then that they clung to these, their favorite haunts, 
with such stu1)l)(»rn jjcrtinacity .and bloody determination? 

The second scene is the coming of the white man. The rest 
less, resistless spirit of adventure so characteristic of the 
American frontiersman, coupled with the marvelous accounts 
of the abundant game, the beautiful lakes and the charming 
groves by wjiicii they were surrounded, early impelled the hardv 
j)ioneer to strike out far beyond the confines of civilization to ex- 
plore this land of romance and region of mystery. When it be- 
came apparent to the savage leaders that this fair domain they 
iiad so long considered all their own was in danger of being over- 
run and absorbed by the aggressive white settlers, the instinct 
of self preservation iinpellc*! them to take such measures as 



684 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

their ignorant savage nature suggested to ])revent the impend 
ing disaster. Then came the long list of annoying circum- 
stances .and predatory excursions which ])roduced the strained 
relations that have always existed between the Sioux and the 
Iowa frontier settlers. The savages were determined the whites 
should get no foothold on the Upper Des Moines or in the lake 
region. Crafty old Sidominadotah zealously watched and 
guarded every avenue of ap])roach. Tt is not .asserted, nor is 
it to be supposed, that he was more cruel and bloodthirsty than 
other savages of his time, but he was absolutely determined to 
defend his country against the encroachments of the whites 
at all hazards. 'Tis true treaties had been negotiated and 
signed some years previous whereby this region should be sur- 
rendered to the United States, but this band took no part in 
the council and refused to be bound by the treaty and claimed 
their ancient hunting grounds as still their own. 

Quarrels and collisions, insignificant at first, continued to 
grow in frequency and magnitude, luitil they finally culmi- 
nated in the murder of the old chief and his entire family of 
nine persons by the desperado, Henry Tx)tt, on the tragic banks 
of "Bloody Run.'" Three years later this unprovoked and un- 
punished murder was terril)ly avenged by his brother, the fa- 
mous Inkpa<lutah, in the massacre of the entire Spirit Lake 
settlement, whereby some forty jDersons fell victims to his 
avenging fury. The fact that Inkpadutah and his followers 
were allowed to escape the punishment they so richly merited 
.and to mix with and become a part of the other tribes, is given 
as one important factor in the aggregation of causes that led 
to the terrible Minnesota outbreak in 1862. 

The relations of cause and effect which can be plainly traced 
through this series of occurrences forms a curious .and striking 
episode. First in the series was the trouble between Chief Sid- 
ominadotah and the adventurer Lott near the mouth of Boone 



CONCLUSION 585 

River, when the old cliiet" ordcrcil l.ott to leave their huiitiiii!: 
grounds, and upon his refusal to do so, destroyed his i)ropert,v, 
ahused his family and forced them to leave the place. Out of 
this circumstance grew the terrible tragedy of Bloody Run, 
which occurred a few years later, where Lott murdered his 
ancient en«ny together with his entire family. This was in 
1854. Three years later, or in 1857, came the Spirit Lake 
Massacre, which is directly traceable to the l^loody Run trag- 
edy. The fact that the ])erpetrators of this massacre were not 
adequately punished, but that they were suifered eventually to 
join the agency Indians, is believed to have had much to cio 
with precipitating the outbreak in 1862. But the analogy does 
not end here. The great bulk of the savages who participated 
in that bloody affair, after being kept a while as prisoners, were 
sent up the ^lissouri River and turned loose on a reservation. 

It is the deliberate opinion of those who have made a careful 
study of the question that to this act should he attributed most 
of the sul>sequent troubles with the wild tribes of the up}X'r 
Missouri which culminated in the Glister Massacre on the 
Little Big Horn in 1876. 

This chain of events and their curious dependence upon each 
other naturally call to mind the old saw with which we 'vere all 
familiar in our childhood days: 

"For the want of a nail the shoe was lost ; through 
the loss of the shoe the horse was lost ; through the 
loss of the horse the rider was lost; through tlie loss 
of the rider the battle was lost, and tlirougii the loss 
of the battle the kingdom was lost, and all for the 
want of a horseshoe nail." 

But the bloody picture of savage warfare passes and is fol 
lowed by the (piaint and ever enjoyable jjicture of jiioneer life 
The conditions that existccl at the tinu' of the first settlemciu 
of this county are impossible now in any |»art of the country. 



586 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

Xow the railroads are the pioneers ; the population comes later. 
But it w.asn't so in the settlement of any part of Iowa. The 
prairie schooner, the plodding, slow moving' train, the droves 
of straggling stock, the jolly campiire, around which nightly 
gathered the sturdy boys and buxom girls of the families of 
these early adventurers when on their journey to their new west- 
ern homes were a familiar picture a half a century" .ago in every 
part of Iowa. The self-denials, struggles and labors incideni 
to obtaining a foothold in any new country are something that 
must be experienced to be understood. T^o mere description 
can convey an adequate idea of the thousand and one make- 
shifts and ingenious devices resorted to by the thrifty settlers 
in lieu of the conveniences to which they had formerly been 
accustomed. 

The vicissitudes of pioneer life, its toils, hardships and pri- 
vations on the one side, and its pleasures, excitements and 
bright anticipations on the other, have been so often and go 
vividly portrayed that they need not be repeated. A whole 
volume, .and an interesting one at that, might be written made 
u]) entirely of the exi)erienccs and reminiscences of the time 
when the old settlers in the log cabin or sod shanty days were 
discounting the future in their etfcn^ts to nuike them homes in 
tliis far away and isolated region. 

The early settlers of northwestern Iowa had nineli more to 
contend Avitli tliaii usually falls to the lot of the tirst settlers 
in .a new country. The ■ grasshopper raid, by which the coun- 
try Avas devastated and the growing crops destroyed for f(Uir 
years, was an infliction wholly out of the ordinary 
and one against which common foresight failed to 
provide .any defense or remedy. Only four or five counties 
suffered the full force of this disaster. Other counties were 
ravaged in part, but the four or five northwestern counties in 
this state felt the full for.-e of the visitation. Ir was the 



CONCLUSION 5 87 

severest Itlow with wliirli the settlers nt" this reiiinn e\-er h;L<1 
tn ciiutend, :inil taken in connection with the ordinarv hani- 
shii)S of pioneer life, made the lot of the first settlers jieenliarlv 
trying: and was the canse of ninch ])rivation and sntferinii 
anionij: them, and the only wonder is that thev hoi'e \^^ nndd- 
it .as well as they iliil. 

It transpii'ed here as it has transpired in all new countries 
that those who snffered most in the toils, labors and privations 
of the oarly days were not the ones to reap the reward of their 
early sacrifices. The ideal pioneer is not a money maker. 
Usnally the money makino- instinct is wholly wanting' in hi- 
makenp. The lil)er.al and almost careless openhearted and 
openhanded hospitality which is ever his most prominent char- 
acteristic, precludes the possibility of accnnnilating wealth, 
and it is theref(n-e in accordance with the common order of 
things that a more venal and mercenary class shonld reap 
where he had sown and grow rich on the nnreqnited toil and- 
unrewarded labor incident to the snhdning of a new conntry. ^ 

This trait of the pioneer character cannot be better illus- 
trated than by the story of President Lincoln's land warrant, 
which was first given to the world in a late nnndxn- of ''Annals 
<»f Iowa" by a Conncil Bluffs correspondent. As a captain in 
the Black Hawk War he was awarded a land warrant for one 
hundred .and si.xty acres. Instead of locating it. as he might 
have done, at the time on some of the \alnalih' tracts adjacent 
to Chicago, he put it away with his dis(dnirge and kept it as a 
souvenir of his services in that campaign. In lsr)S, on the 
occasion of his visit to (\)nncil IJlntfs, he lia<l liis land wari'ant 
with him. and on ex]iil)it inii it to a fi'iend was askecl why in 
the world he hadn't located it on some of the \alnalile lami 
aiiont ( 'liicago, and refcrreil to the fact that his friend, -liulge 
Davis, disposed of his in that way ami it was th(> foundation 
(d' the immense fortune he afterwards ac(piiretL "Well," re 



588 DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 

plied Lincoln, '"David always made money but I never conld. 
You see," he continued, "it was this way. I was .afraid if I 
located it there might be times when I couldn't pay the taxes 
and then I might lose it." He located his warrant on this 
trip on a quarter section in Crawford County in this state. 
President Lincoln was not the first man nor the Last to stand 
back and hesitate where others went in and rounded up their 
thousands. 

With the coming of the railroads was ushered in the closing 
scene of our moving panorama, and our next view is of the busy, 
bustling, active life of the world around us. "Old things have 
passed away and all things have become new." The' vast ex- 
panse of treeless prairie stretching away indefinitely to the 
northwest, which was once considered but a northern extension 
of the "Great American Desert," has been converted into fer- 
tile fields and thriving farms, which are now the homes of 
thousands of industrious and prosperous families, while busy 
cities, thriving villages and prosperous communities are every- 
where scattered through this region where so short .a time 
^ince seeincd one vast expanse of loneliness and desolation. Vast 
herds of sheep and cattle are now grazing on the fertile plains 
where then roamed the elk and buffalo. Modern imiirovements 
and modern appliances are seen on every hand. Schools and 
churches have been multiplied until they greet the traveler at 
every turn. The primitive methods of agriculture have been 
superseded by modern machinery and up-to-date a]iplianc?;> 
until "The man with the hoe" exists only in the nuunory of 
the old timer or the inuigin.ation of the moilcrn ])oet. 



ALPHAl^ETICAL INDEX. 



Alihott. Harvey. :il8. 

Aclieson. .Tames. 49G. 

Adams. Miss D., 1S9. 

Addington, J., 84, lOG, 108. 

Agencies, Indian, 27, 238. 

Agricultural ^Societies, •'^bo. 

Aldrich. Charles. 32. ]1J. r{.55, .564, .■)67. 

Alii-on<niin Tribes. 17. 

Alhee. :Nr. 1'. W.. 390. 

Allar, John, 476. 

Allen. .Samuel. 322. 

Alexander, Col., 122. 

-Alpha." 40.-). 406, 410. 

.\nnals of Iowa, 39, 52, 109, 351. 

Anderson. G.. 322. 

Anderson, J. S. & W. H., 322. 

.\nderson. Gilbert, 325. 

Andrews, Rev. Charles. 460, 489. 

Armin <Sr Riley. 501. 

Arnold's Park, 527. 

Arnold. W. P,., .'.99. 477. 

Arnold. Anthony. 502. 

Arnold. C. A.. 477. 520. 

Astronomical Observation, 42. 

Arthur. A.T).. 206. 208. 260, 312, 417. 

Arthur. H. D.. 208. 232. 

Arthur, Mrs. All^ert. :u;:!. 

Arthur. Miss Nellie. 366. 

Ault. Rev. J. W., 460. 

Austin, J., 318. 

Avery, C. H., 514. 

Avers, C H.. 322. 431. 447, 465. 466. 

B. 

Bad Hail. 200. 

Bad Lands. 285. 

l!;,()<rer.Mv, (;. A.. .■..-)!. 

Bahls. Theo.. 509. 

Bailev, W. H.. 431, 460. 

T.ailev. Rev. T. S., 461. 5"fi. 

Baird. Rev. A. K., 460. 

Bailey <Sr Barney, 444. 

Baker, Gen. N. B., 355. 

I'.aldwin. .Tudpre C. 234. 

Ball. .Tames. 189. 210. 417. 

Barcus. Tom, 477. 

Barkman. Henry. 150, 1,59, 189, 212. 216, 

2.59, 371, 417, 423. 427, 483. 
Barkman. Wni., ISO. 221. 230, 260. 
n.irkimin. Miss Tlena, 466. 



Barr, George, 309. 
Barnes, Rev. G. W., 505. 
I'.arron, i-\ W.. 433. 472. 
Bartlett, Samuel, 322. 
Hascom. Wni.. 549. 
Bates. O. ("., 306, 446. 
r.attles: 

Upper Agency, 239. 

Fort Uidi-ley. 240. 242. 

New Ulm, 241. 

Birch Coulee, 245. 

Big Mound, 282. 

Dead Buffalo Lake, 283. 

Stony Lake, 283. 

Bad Lands. 285. 

^^^lite stone Hill, 262, 278. 279, 280. 
Baxter. Henry. 398. 403, 427. 443. 
Baxter, George, 433. 
"Beacon" (Sj)irit Lake), 434, 437, 443. 

445, 466. 
Beacon Block. 432. 438. 
Beck. .7. A.. 374, .545. 
Bedow, C. 186, 187. 
Bee, Capt. B. E.. 121, 122, 276. 
Beebe. James, 322. 
Beebe, Dr.. .502. 
IVers. W. S.. :!1S. 428, 444. 480. 
Bell. Ralph, 516. 
Bellows, George C, 318. 420, 425. 431, 

445. 
"Ben Lennox." 406. 
Bennett, Daniel. 231. 
Bennett, H. J.. 232. 
Bennett, Miss Julia. 364. 
I'ennett. C. I'.. 5II4. 
Benson, J. T.. 502. 
Benson. S., 502. 509. 
Bergman, A. F.. 443. 
Bergman. P., 462. 
Berryhill, J. G., 516. 
iVt/cr E M., 435. 
Big Island Grove, 96, 111. 
Binffham. J. S., 324. 
l!in-'< C-Mlce 2:«i. 244. 
Bissell, Dr. G. R., 82. 
Blackbirds, 190. 
I'.lacUcrt (i.. 250. 4;.'2. 442. 
Blackert. E. G.. 446, 485. 
Blackert, Mrs. E. G., 470. 
Rlackert, Carl, 467. 
Blake, F. A., 232. 418. 



590 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



Ulake. Miss Emma, 364. 

Blanchard, M. A., 148, 170. 

Blackraan, Andrew, 476. 

Blizzards, 307. 

Blow, J. C., 515. 

I'>()\ven, Kev. T. F.. 462. 

Bradshaw, John, 82, 119. 

Braistead. Kev. B. H., 460. 489. 511. 

Breffle, Ira, 509. 

Breffle, S. W., 510. 

Bridges, 218. 

Bristol, Frank, 475. 

Britch, C, 462. 

Brizee. (ieo. W., 102. 

Broado-ate Bros.. 411. 

l^.road bridge, Eev., 460. 

Brockway, Geo., 154. 

Broderick, L., 512. 

Brown, Rev. G., 211, 500. 

Brown. Bev. G. \\ . L.. 458. 

Brown. W. B., 148. 153, 161, 210, 363, 

397, 444, 563. 
Brown. Roscoe, 426. 
Brown, Milo, 563. 
BrowTi, Henry. 410. 
Brown, Major J. E., 244. 
Browne. ('. W., 467. 
Brownell, Br. F. L.. 417. VM). 44:!. 54S. 
Brownell. Mrs. E. L., 470. 
Brownell's Beach, 548. 
I 'runs. V. I., .")57. 

Buckland. ISIrs. A. B.. 291. 366, 367. 480. 
BulTnm, Elmer, 502. 
Buffalo, Last in Iowa, 377. 
Bnnker. Mrs. C. A., 488. 
Burkholder. Wm. E.. 84. 90, 104, 106. 
Burton, BvCv. N. L., 488. 
:'.m-cl<. I?ev. rl. . •'>!). 
B.urtch, A., 64, 84, 90. 
Bush, G. H. 187, 202, 207, 541. 
liuffuui. .Tohn. 509. 
BTirrows, G. AV., 509. 



Caldwell, Dan., 189. 
Call. A. C. 188. 
Campbell, John, 197, 199. 
Calkins, Homer, 477. 
Campbell. II. H., 322. 
Campbell. B., 322. 
Campbell. Sam, 322, 431. 
Campbell. Wm.. 323. 
Camp Release, 248. 
Camp Meetini"- (t^^' fii-t^ 304. 
Carleton, Mrs. Esther, 367. 
Carlton. W. F.. 481, .562. 
Carlton. E. D., 3S1. 389, .563. 



Carpenter, Hon. C. C, S3, 94. 100. 109, 

182, 351, 567. 579. 
Carpenter, Rev. J. H., 461. 
Carse, Henry, 84, 99, 107. 
Carsley, Wm., 159. 
Carroll, Rev. L., 464. 
Case. E. A.. 4S.S, 486, .541. 
Case, Mrs. A., 478. 
Case, Austin, 477. 
Cassady, Lieut., 25.5, 256, 25S. 260. 
Chandler, C, 417. 
Chappel, M., 324. 
Chase. Wm., 493. 
Chase, George, 383, 398. 
Chautauqua. 472. 
Cheney, Rev., 505. 
Chetanmaza (Iron Hawk). 136. 
Chiffen, Henry. 113, 197. 
Chisholm, D. R., 427, 444, 460. 
C, M. & St. P. R. R. 330, 370. 371. 373, 

406. 
C. & N. W. R. E,., 371. 
Christ ensen, J. C., 476, 563. 
Chrysler. J. G.. .509, 510. 
Chrysler, A. B., 504, 509. 
Church, Wm. L., 80, 81, 120, 184, 206. 
Church, .Mrs. L. J.. SI. 116. 117. 12(i. 
Civic Societies: 
Spirit Lake, 449. 

A. F. & A. M., 449. 

Roval Arch, 451. 

0. E. S., 450. 

1. O. O. F., 453. 

Patrons of Husbandry. 454. 
Good Templars, 454. 
G. A. R., 455. 
Knights of Pythias, 455. 
A. O. U. AV., 450. 
^lodern Woodmen, 456. 
American Yeomen, 457. 
Mil ford: 

A. F. & A. M.. 491. 

0. E. S., 491. 

T. O. O. F., 492. 
G. A. R., 492. 
Knights of I'ytliias. 493. 
Modern Woodmen. 49.3. 
American "^'eonuMi, 493. 
Lake Park: 

A. F. &. A. M.. 507. 

1. O. 0. F., 507. 
A. O. U. W., 5C8. 
.\merican Yeomen. 509. 

Chiirches — Spirit Lake: 
Methodist, 458. 
Baptist, 459. 
Congregational. 460. 



ALPHABETICAL LNDEX 



691 



Presbyterian. 460. 

Episcopalian, 4G2. 

(iernian Lutheran, 462. 

Catholic, 463. 
Milford: 

Methodist. 487. 

('onfjreirational, 488. 

i'.a|)tist. 48<). 

I>uthoran, 490. 

Catholic. 490. 
Lake Park: 

Methodist, 505. 

i'resh\terian. 506. 
Clark. Robert, 64, 66, 88. 
Clark, Elmer, 411. 
Clark. C. P.. 477. 
Clapp. Rev., 506. 
Clearwater, Rev. J. C, 505. 
Coburn. R. E., 548. 
Cottin. Hon. L. S.. 523. 
Cold Storajre Plant, 440. 
Cohenour. Rev. J.. 211, 458. 
Cook, Rev. Joseph, 475. 
Cook, Mrs. W. A., 488. 
Cole. Rev. W. T.. 45S. 
Cole, H. D., 556. 
Compton, O., 334, 443. 
Cong-leton, L.. 189, 205, 212, 260, 417. 
Cong-leton, Marjs 189. 
Congleton, Emma, 189. 
Conwell. Rev. Riissell. 475. 
Cooper, George, 232. 
Copeland. Lieut. J. T.. 2G0. 
Coppoc, Rev. J. L.. 459. 46i5. 
Corv, J. W.. 431, 563. 
Cory, Mrs. J. W., 462. 
Courthouse. 223. 256. 435. 
County Seat Located. 159. 
County Officers. .559, 560, 561. 
Cousins. Thomas. 460. 
Cowham. R. M.. 493. 
Crandall O.. 31S, :!5C>, 425. 432. 444. 
Crarv, H. C, 368, 480. 
Crarv. Mrs. H. C, 478, 480. 
Crane. V. B.. 448. 
Cravens, John, 462. 
Cravens, J. W., 509. 
Crandali's Lodge. 519. 
Crosbv, Norton, 232. 
Culbertson. W. L., 548. 
Cullen. Major, 144. 
Cvlinder Creek, 100. 



D. 



D. An V, .\rtlHir. :'.1S. 
Dacotah Tribes. 20. 21. 
Dalev. Kev. J. R . 464. 



Daley, Rev. M. R., 464. 

Dalley. H. E.. 84. 

Dari'ow. Charles. 4S4. 

Davenport, Hon. Geo. L., 270, 271. 

Davidson, Andrew, 493. 

Davidson, W. T., 485. 

Davis, E. J. 317. 

Davis. K. v.. 323. 

Davis, J. C. 323. 

Davis. Alfred, 325. 

Davis, Hiram, 485. 

Davis, LeRoy, 462. 

Davis, Mrs. LeRoy, 462. 

Davis. Mrs. J. L., 467. 

Day, Rev. F. E., 458. 

DeFoe, Wm., 84. 

Death of Mrs. Thatcher. 12S. 

Death of Mrs. Noble, 131. 

Dele'tan. Gee E.. r!9?. 393. 

Des Moines & N. AV. R. R., 372. 

Deer, the Last in Towa, 383. 

Des Moines Beach, 540. 

Dickerson. .lohn. 496. 

Dingwall, John, 49(5. 

Di'uond. .Tohn. 433. 

Dietrick. George, ISO. 

Dodge, A., 324. 

Dodson. John. 197. 

Dodii-e. Gen..C.. M.. 2.34. 

Doolittle, F. C, 317. 

Doolittle, Israel, 317. 

Doughtv. Philip, 428. 

Doughty, J. A., 428, 465. 

Doughty, Thomas. 232. 

Doughtv, Frank, 232. 

Doughtv. Carrie, 211. 

Dows. Hon. S. L., 523. 

Dows. Hon. S. L.. 372. 

Drake. l?ev. W. il.. 458. 

Drew, J. B., 496. 

Duncombe. Hon. J. F.. 61. 62. 75. 109. 

5(;7. 581. 
l)un<ran. W. R.. 578. 
Dunham, G. L., 448. 
Diilutli. ;-':i. 
Dnriou. M.. 40. 

E. 

Eastwood, Carl, 447. 
Edmunds. Kev. Geo.. 324. 
Edwards, George, 426. 
i-'graiharx (>. 551. 
Kighuiy. Kev. P. H.. 458. 
i:ik. The Last in Iowa. 382. 
Ellis. Ethel. 232. 2.59. 
Fllis. J. A.. 429. 4r.\. 466. 484. 
Election. First. 169. 182. 



592 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



Emerson, Samuel, 324. 
Emerson, T., 324. 
Enselert, Rev. A., 463. 
Enlistments in Capt. Martin's Com- 
pany, 184. 
Enlistments from this County, 232. 
Enos. J. L., 367. 
Estes, C. L., 209. 
Evans, James, 231, 232. 
Evans. C. H.. 231, 232, 363. 
Everett, C E., 502. 
Everett, Mrs. J. S., 470. 
Everett, Dr., 480. 
Evergreen Sabbath School, 464. 
Evans, Sam., 231. 
Expeditions Against the Indians — • 

Sully's, 275. 

Sibley's, 284. 

F. • 

Fahs, Rev. D. W., 461. 
Fairchild, Anna, 366. 
Fairchild, G., 364. 
Farmers' Co-operative Co., 510. 
Farnham, David, 323. 
Farmer, New^ton, 232. 
Farmers' Alliance, 556. 
Fnrniers' Institutes. 556. 
Farmers' Mutual Insurance Co., 557. 
Farnham, Mrs. L. H., 470 . 
"Fiivorite." 405. 41'f). 
Fay, Rev. Randall, 512. 
Ffgtly. Rev., 4S~. 
First l^ank. 426. 420. 
First Boats, 400, 401, 406. 
First County Officers, 169. 
First Dry Goods Store, 420. 
First Election, 169. 

First Family After the Massacre, 17S. 
First Funeral, 189. 
First Hotel. 420. 
First uiail route. 1SR. 
First Physician, 210. 
First Postoffice, 186. 
First Religious Meeting, 161. 
First Social Event, 418. 
First School, 206. 
First Teachers, 206. 
First Term of Court, 206. 
First White Child Born in the Coun- 
ty. 189. 
First Young Ladies, 189. 
Fish and Game Warden, 393. 
Fish Car, 393. 
Fish Commissioner, 389. 
Fish Commissioner Assistant, 389. 
Fish Lav7s, 390. 



Fish Shanties, 391. 

Fitch, Rev. L. R., 489. 

Flandrau, Hon. C. E., 28, 35, 122, 130, 

132, 141, 238, 241, 250, 272, 282, 286, 

577. 
Flatt, W. B., 323. 
"Foam," 400, 401, 408. 
Fool Dog, Indian Guide, 276. 
Ford, Wni., 84. 

Foreman, S. W., 148, 159, 414. 
Fort Dodge. 31. 348. 
Fort Dodge Point, 540. 
Fort Ridglev, 121. 143, 240, 242. 
Fort, The Old, 160. 
Foster. A. D.. 331. 334. 
Foster, I. S., 480, 481, 486. 
Foster, Mrs. I. S.. 478. 
Francis, John, 208, 232. 
Francis, T. J.. 364. 400. 467. 
Frantz, H., 419. 
Fremont, General J. C. 43. 
Freeman, Rev. C. E., 461. 
Freeman, H. C, 322. 
Freeman, E., 322, 477. 
Freeman, Randolph, 323. 
Frothingham, Rev. H. J., 461. 
Fuel Question, 326. 
Funk, Mrs. A. B., 470. 
Funk, Hon. A. B.. 435. 443. 472. 
Fulton, Hon. A. R., 23, 29, 38, 40, 54, 

261. 
Furber, Lawrence, 154, 162, 397. 
Fur Business, 289. 

G. 

Gaboo, Jo., 12.5. 

Game, Disappearance of, 376. 

Gardner, Rov^^land, 45, 65, 67, 89, 98. 

Gardner. Eliza. 64. 117, 155. 

Gardner, Rev., 489. 

Gardner, W. S., 510. 511. 

Gear. Gov. J. H., 516, 537. 

Getchell, G. A., 448. 

Oilbraith. W. C 55. 57. 

Gillett Bros., 58, 61. 

Gilbert, John P., 188, 202, 208. 290, 

431. 
Gilbert, Fred, 532. 
Gilbertson. Ole. 324. 
Gillett, Miss Emma, 480. 
Gilley. Wm. M., 548. 
Gilley's Beach, 548. 
(iiven. Jndge J. A.. 537. 552. 
Gleason, Elder, 487. 
Goppelt, Rev. A., 463. 
Godfrey, Mr., 406. 
Granger. Win.. 45. 46. 157, 414. 



ALPHABETICAL INDKX 



598 



Granger, Carl, 45, 89. 
Grasshoppers, 342. 
Grimes, Gov. J. W., 51, 75, 
Green, J. A., 317. 
Griggs. Jut. 390. 
Great Divide, 292, 307. 
Green & Patch, 509. 
Green, M. D., 509, 510. 
Green. Kev. M. li.. 458. 
Green, Dr. J. E., 484. 
Gunsaulus, Kev. F., 475. 
Guthrie, D. N., 483. 



Ihickett. John, 405. 

llas-ertv. J. W., 557. 

Hail, E. G., 485. 

Hamilton, Rev., 512. 

Harney, General, 54. 

Harriott, Dr. T. H., 45. 63, 65, 67, 

98, 157. 
Harris, 325. 
Harshman, Joseph, 88. 
Harvey. Eev. C. \V.. 489. 
Harvey t^- Trnesrlale, 502. 
Haskins, Geo., 425. 
Hathaway, Rev., 487. 
Haugen, 324. 
Hawkins, J. D., 159. 
Hayward, \Vm.. 435, 550. 
Hayden, John, 515. 
Heath, A. F.. 443, 447. 
Heldredge, James, 317. 
Heldredge, E. E., 485. 
IleiK'eixm. .\. A.. 400, 40.-'., 563. 
Henderson, E. 0., 400, 405, 411, 563. 
Henderson. Zina. 308. 397. 
Henderson, Robert. 188, 232. 
"Hiawatha," 408, 410, 411. 
Hickey, James, 159. 
Hilbert. George, 3()4. 
Hild, Rev., 505. 

Hill, C. F., 150, 153, 161, 171, 202, 207. 
Hill, Emmett F.. 444. 
Highest Land in Iowa, 534, 535. 
Hippee, Geo. M., 516. 
Hogle, M. C, 512. 
Holeomb, L. E., 322. 
Homestead Law, 210, 303, 319. 
Hoover, Harris, 110, 111. 
Hood. Andrew. 213. 
Hopkins, R. J., 412. 
Hopkins. Mrs. G. P., 462. 
Horn. G., 325. 
Ho|d<ins. R. S.. 325. 
Hoton Washta. 136. 



House, Major, 278. 

Howell. Col. !•:. I'., 522. 523. 

Howe, Joel, 45. 46, (54, 68, 86. 

Howe, Johnathan, 64. 

Howe, J. D., 189, 212, 260, 417. 

Howe, O. C.. 49. 7(). S4, 90. 147. 150. 170, 

197, 206, 232, 259, 414, 417, 563. 
Howe. Mrs. O. C, 415. 
Howe, Miss Sarah. 189. 418. 
Howe. Miss ^Slary, 189, 206. 362, 418. 
Hunter, Dr.. 14s'. 
"Huntress." 410. 
Hunter's Lodge, 517. 
Hnrd, D. E.. 511. 
Hurd. W. W., 511. 
Hutchison, J. W., 523. 
Hubbard, Hon. A. W., 197, 206, 361. 
Hyde, Rev. Wm., 211, 304. 

I. 

"Illinois," 410, 411. 

Indian Scares. 160. 

Indian Medical Practice, 200. 

Indian. Last one killed in Iowa. 22S. 

Indians of Iowa, 17-21. 

Ingham, Harvey, 32, 33, 37. 

Ingham, Hon. S. R., 264, 269. 

Inkpadutah, 33, 34, 37, 50, 53, 65. Ill, 

144. 273, 414. 
Inman, A. D., 317, 332, 476. 
Inman, S. E., 476, 482. 
"Inn. The," 54S. 
Institute Teachers, 367. 
Institute, Farmers, 556. 
"Iowa." 410, 411. 
"Irnia." 411. 
Ishtahaba, 33, 53, 111. 

J. 

Jacobs. John, 512, 513. 
Jaynes. 1). T.. 477. 
Jenkins, John, 232. 
.Tenkins, ^Vm.. 306. 
Jenkins. Wni. G., 232. 
Jemerson. Robert. 427. 444. 
Johnson, Capt. J. C, 86, 90, 103, 106. 
Johnson. A. M.. 322. 427, 428, 439. 444. 

465. 
Johnson, R. C. & John, 322. 
Johnson, J., 324. 
Johnston. J. S., 290. 431. 467. 
.Tones. Rev. J. W., 211. 304. 
Jones, Isaac, 177. 
Jones, Burgess, 366. 
Jones, 0. S., 429. 
Justice, A. C. 364. 



594 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



K. 

Keene. Al)el. 210. 

Keister, l{ev.. 4S7. 505. 

Kellogg-, E. D., 84, 108. 

Kellogg-, Geo., 232. 

Kellson, Louis, 542. 

Kendall, (apt.. 4()S. 

Kessey, Chris, 482. 

Keyes, Prof. Charles, .39. 

J\inney. .Tosejih. 324. 

Kilpatrick, .lames. 322. 

Kilpatrick, John, 322. 

K'irhy. T{ev.. 464. 491. 

Kirk wood, (!o\-. Samuel. 2;>4, 2(il>, :.M)S. 

270. 
Kiuil)all. .Ml-.. :i74. 
Kinii's. Ke\. F. E., 4S7. 
King, W. F., 509. 
Kingman. A.. 1S9. ]98, 232. 25.-). 2()1. 

418. 520. 
Kingman. !{.. l.V). 230. 20,0, 410. 
Kingiuan, Mrs. E., 415. 
Kireliner, J. A., 71. 
Kitts. T{. H., 502. 
Kleibenstein, L. F., 512. 
Knight, F. E., 485. 
KnoAvlton, Jerry, 317. 
Knowlton. Levi. 477. 
Knox. C. B., 495, 496. 
Koester & Co., 502. 



I.adii. P(>ter. 20S, 232. 

Ladd. Chas., 324. 

Lady of the Lake, 397, 398, 401. 

F.a Frombois. Joseph. 125. 276, :.79 

Lakeville Settlement, 317. 

Lake Park, 495. 

Lake Park News, 5C4. 

Lake Park P. O., 509. 

Lapliam, Pev. T. E. S.. 489. 

Lawlon. Miss Helen. 480. 

Lakes, level of 340. 

T,and)ert. Wiley. 322. 

Lamont, \Vui., \'>i. IGl. 

Lamont, ]{ev., 304. 

La Salle, 22. 

Laughlin. VVm. K., 34, 105. 

Legend of Spirit Lak?, 291. 

Leggelt. William, 302. 

"Lelia," 408. 

Leman. J. P.. 557. 

Lemon. M. W., 325. 

Lewis ii^- Clarke. 23. 40. 

Lewis. Lndwig. 3(>:}. 

l.illvwhif(>, Wm.. 519. 



Lillywhite's Lodge, 519. 

Lincoln, President, 249. 

Literary Societies, 291. 

Little Crow, 143, 240. 243, 246, 250, 273. 

Linder, John, 509, 510. 

Lloyd, John, 324. 

Lott, Henry, 29, 34. 

Lott, Milton, 30. 

Lounsberry. Rev. U. W., 500. ' 

Lovesee & Hiird, 440. 

Luccok. Pev. C,. N.. 460. 

Luce. Parvey, 46, (>4, 66, 85, .v9, 365. 

Lund, H. P., 493. 

lyusian, J., 324. 

Lynier. E. E., 458. 

Lyon. D. P.. 543. 

M. 

MaePride, Prof. T. H., 9, 11. 540. 

Madison, Robert, 46, 88. ISO. 181. 

Mail Routes, 187, 188. 

:Mallory, Rev. W. W.. 211. 

"Manhattan." 410. 

Manhattan Peach, 543, 

Manitoba & (iulf P. P., 513. 

^Nlapeson. Rev. Joseph. 507." 

Martin, Capt. Henry, 184, 198. 

Martin's Company. 198, 203. 205. 260. 

Marble, Wm., 45, 70. 

Marble. Mrs. 70. 129. 

]\larkham, Morris, 47, 72. 82, 113. 1.54. 

ISIarsh. Capt.. 238. 

"Martha Wasnington," 397. 398. 400. 

Mascoutins, 19. 

Mason. Frank, 82, 109. 

JNIattock, James, 45, 88, 181. 

]Matthesen, M. M., 420. 

•Matthesen, G., 232, 490. 

Matthesen. John, 477. 

Maxwell. David, 232. 

Maxwell. Lieut J. N.. 80. 84, 90. 95. 

106, 111. 
May, D. C. 502, 509. 
Mazaintemani. 136. 139. 247. 
McCormick. P.. 84. 
McCnlla. Robert. 325. 
McCaflPree, Rev. T. J., 458. 
McCaulev. Rev. P.. 464, 490. 
Mi'Ciitchhi, R. C. 476, 485. 
McDonald, Rev. H. P.. 461. 
McDonald, Rev. W. T.. 458. 
McElrov, Pishop. 462. 
Mcintosh. Rev. J. E., 489, 400. 
McLean. Rev. C. 211. 303. 
:\rc^rinen. Miss Sarah. 189. 
Afead. A. R.. 56. 61. 417. 
M(ad. Frank. 232. 385. 



Al.I'HAHETICAL INDKX 



595 



Mead, L., 318, 

Medary, Clov. Samuel, KJS. 

Meeker, H., 231, 331. 

Meg-an, Kev. Wui., 460. 

Meiising', Rev. E. W., 4G3. 

.Merrill. S. S., 374. 

Mevers, H. C, 510. 

MicUlleton, A. \V., 467. 

Middleton, Kobert, 32-'. 

Middleton, S. 1'., 322. 467. 

}tliddlet()n. Henry, 322. 

Middleton, George, 322, 48;:. 

Middleton, Loui.se, 498. 

Milford, 476. 

Milford Mail. 4S4. 4S.-. 

.Milford Post Office, 4SG. 

Milford Library .Vssot-iation, 47'.i. 

Millard. C'apt. A. .1.. 232. 2ij(». 2(i.). 

Miller. Moses. 154. 

Miller, Wm., 177. 

Miller, H. A.. 436. 

Miller, Mrs. H. A., 470. 

Miller's Bay, 527, 532. 

Miller, Eli, 477. 

•Miller, Edmond, 477. 

Mills, S. E., 541. 

Military Commission, 248. 

Minnesota ^fassacre, 237. 

Minnesota R. K. (irant. 152. 

Minute Alen. 22i). 

^Missionaries, 12'J. 

Mitchell, David. 511. 

Mitchell, Rev. Bennett, 458. 487. 

Moore. D. C. 322. 

Morg-an, J., 325. 

Morse, n. N.. 323. 

Morse, G. W., 323. 

Mosher, A. A., 318. 380. 39S. 403. 444, 

'563. 
Mott, P. S., 431. 
Mott, G. D., 323. 
Moore. Rev. F. L.. 4.s7. 
.Mowers, N., 487. 
Murray, Leiut., 83, 121. 
Murray, Jonas. S4, 100. lOS. 
Musical Association, 465. 
Myers, W. H., 494. 



Naiuiug the Lakes, ]6(i. 
.Vason. Orin, ]86. 
Xeedham, G. S., 322. 464. 
Nelson, J. P.. 512. 513. 
Nelson, 252. 
Nelson. P., 325. 
•'Neutral Ground," 25. 
N.'w rim. 239, 241. 



46: 



Nicollet, ,).. 22. 41. 

Nicol, J{. J5., 322. 367. 4S(». 4!^5. 486. 

Nicol, Clark, 322. 

Nicholson, (ieiirge. 495. 

Xims. J I. C., 425. 

Noble, Alvin, 69. 

Noble, Mrs., 69, 131. 

Norhv'. Osear, 325.. 

Norheim, H. J., 493. 

Northern Uorder Brigade. 2i!C,. 

Norton. Bev. M. K.. 464. 49ii. 

0. 

O'Farrell. .1. \V., 231. 541. 

O'Farrell. G. A., 493. 

O'Farrell, Henry. 232. 

Okoboji Township. 1S1. 

Okoboji Park, 540. 

"Okoboji Star," 398. 

•Okoboji," 411. 

Okoboji Postoffice, 541. 

Olds, Rev.. 505. 

Old Red Mill. 179. 

Olesen, E. J., 511. 

Oldham. Wm., 180. 

'•Old Tub," 398. 

Orleans Hotel, 521. 

Osborn, A. \V.. 36.S. 431. 446. 462. 

Organizing the County. 169. 

Osborn, E. V., 231, 309, 310, 403. 

Osborn Pvoswell, 489. 

Owen. H. C, 232. 

Owen, H. L., 432. 

Owen. Robert. 446. 

P. 
1 'aimer. Eber, 232. 427. 443. 444. 
I'almer, Jareb, 159, 189, 206, 232. 
Pallister, John, 408. 
Parmenter. B. F., 49, 74, 84. 90, 147. 150, 

154, 170, 189. 201. 212, 213. 413. 
Peck, Benjamin, 322. 
Peters. James S., 179. 
-Petrel," 400. 

Perkins, D. A. W.. 311, 357. 
Pegdon, Thomas. 322. 
Phippin. Samuel, 232. 
Pienc. P. P.. 325. 
Pillsburv, Rev. S.. 288. .T23. 
IMllsbur'v, W. F., 363, 368. 
Pillsburv. Miss Esther, 365. 
Pillsburv, Miss S. E.. 365. 
I'ostortices — 

Spirit Lake. 1S6. 442. 

Okoboji. 187, 541. 

Milford. 486. 

Austin. 509. 

l.ako Park. 509. 



596 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



Superior, 511. 

Terrill, 515. 
Poorman, Daniel, ISS. 
I'olk, J. S., 259. 
Piatt, Joshua, 317. 
I'latt. Geo. W., 317. 
Prescott, J. S., 149. 158, 161. 189, 

•201, 207, 210, 212, 230, 331. 
Prescott, Wm.. 232. 
Preston, Rev. Wm., 211. 
Price, A. A., 317. 
Preemption Law, 319. 
I'lircell Brothers. 227. 
Pursuit of Indians. 126. 



Q. 



"Queen," 406, 408, 411. 
••Queen of the West," 398. 



E. 



"Eain in the Face," 146. 
Kamsey. Gov. A., 244. 
Railroads — 

C, M. & St. P., 330, 371. 406. 

St. P. & S. C, 319, 330. 

B., C. R. & N., 405. 
Randall. G. S., 324. 
Rasmussen, C, 366. 
Hescue of Mrs. SharjJ. 135. 
Keg-atta, 401. 
Kelig-ious Revival, 305. 
Read, Chaiincey, 318. 
Keiter, M., 325. 
Reiter, C. 325. 
Reycroft & Flower, 448. 
Richards, Rev. W. A., 211. 
Richnian. Hon. Irxing- B.. 22. 
IMchards, Capt. (". 1'.., 76, 109. 
Ring-, George, 68, 189. 
Ring-, E. P., 232, 426, 428. 
Ring, L. F., 232. 
Ring-, Addie, 210. 
Risiingr, Philip, ISO, ISi), 260. 
Rice, Orson, 446. 
IJiley, D. L., 433. 
Ridley, Theresa, 366. 
"River Queen," 408, 412. 
Pioaring Cloud. 131, 141, 14,?. 
Robbins. G., 255. 
L'obb, .Tames, 322, 
Robb, John, 322. 
Robb, Pat. 206. 
Roff, F. C, 404, 410. 
Holler Skate Craze, 434. 
l.'ogers. G. W., 150, 232. 



Rogers, Samuel, Jr.. 232. 
Rogers, Samuel, 363. 
Rogers, G. D., 232, 
Rogers, C. H., 364. 
Romantic Wedding Trip, 312. 
Root, Wm. E., 210. 
Ruff, T. S., 189. 
Ryan Enoch, 47, 64, 69, 85. 



Sacs and Foxes, 17, 

Sailboats, 396. 

Samscm's Lodge, 5~0. 

Sanborn, G. W., 374. 

Sanford, O., 32/5. 

Sarizine, O., 464. 

Saunderson, Rev. F., 458. 

Sawmill, First, 177, 416. 

Sawmill (Prescott's), 201, 20S, 258. 

Savage, O., 325. 

Sawyers, James A., 260, 265. 270. 

Sawyer, A, L., 321, 431. 

Sawyer. G. A. and C. E., 322. 

Saxe, A, G., 324. 

Scheitz, Rev, E. H., 463. 

Schuneman, Henry, 189, 232, 417. 

Schools, 206, 360. 

Seymour, Foster & Co., 334. 

Seymour, T. S., 371. 

Seymour, Mrs., 478, 488. 

Sharp, Mrs. A. G., 54, 56, 65. 66, 112, 

114, 124, 127, 138, 567, 573, 579. 
Shackleford, J,, 232. 
Shaffer, D. M., 515. 
Sharkey & McNarj-, 514. 
Sheehan, Lieut., 240. 
Sherman, George B,, 78. 
Sherburne, Geo., 485. 
Shipman, IL H., 477. 
Shinier, Dr. Henry, 501. 
Shoemaker, Rev. H, H.. 487, 505. 
Shultz, C. S., 509, 
Sibley, Gen. H. H., 244, 246, 277. 281. 
Sidoniinadotah, 29, 31, 34. 
Sioux, 21. 

Sioux City Cavalry, 232, 255, 260, 262. 
Sixth Iowa Cavalry, 278, 279 
Skinner, Dr., 112. " 
Skirving, James, 318, 
Skirving, John, 318. 
Sloan. S. G., 581. 
Sloan, Rev, C. S., 489, 512. 
Smeltzer. C. C, 159, 206. 
Smith, Rev. Joel A., 458. 
Smithland, 53. 
Smith, George P., 84. 106, 108. 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX 



597 



Sniitli, Don B., 551. 

Smitli, Kllis, .J^'J. 

Smith, John, 230. a(j.>. 

Smith, J. A.. :{44. :{S1, 44.-). 440. 407. 485. 

Smitli, Joseph A., 443. 

Smith. Rev. J. J., 464. 

Smith, J. B., 324. 

Smith, Uev. H. L., 4ST. 

Smith, Leonard, 322. 

Smith, M. J., 187, 189, 232. 2(11, 3G6. 

Smith, K. A., 563, 567, .■>73, 579. 

Smith. Miss Myra. 189. 206. 3(>;i. 304. 

Smith, Wallac-e, 317, 383, 481. 

Smith. Wm. M., 426, 429. 

Smith's Cottage, 527, 537. 

Snow, F. N., 323. 

Snyder, Bertel, 45, 05, 07, 88, 157. 

Snyder, J., 324. 

Snyder, Itev. Seymour, 211. 304. ;il8. 

Snyder, M., 425," 426, 429. 

Sod Shanties, 328. 

Soper. K. K., 389. 

South Beach Co., 552. 

Spirit Lake. Town of. 413. 

Spirit Lake Town Site, 259, 413, 422. 

Spirit Lake & Sioux Valley E. K. Com- 
pany, 370. 

Spencer, (ieorge E.. 148, 151, 417. 

Spencer, Gustave, 148. 

Spencer, 0. S., 84, 106. 

"Spook," 398, 401. 

Syiring-field Indians, 112. 

Staur & Co., 484. 

Stel)hins, C, 84. 

Stetson, R. K., .322. 

Stevens, S. E., 102. 

Stevens, B. F., 436, 437. 526. 

Stevens, S., 437. 

Stevens. IMock. 437. 

Stevens, Mrs. K. A., 47i;. 

Stewart, J. O., 447. 

Stewart. 112. 

Strathnian, Theo., 504, 509. 

Strathman & liock. .502. 

Stratton, Lieut. F. A.. 102. Kil. 

Slinehart, J., 324. 

Sliui|)son, L. .v.. 180. 232. :!:;4. 

Stockdale & Bahls, 501. 

Stone, Dan. 427. 

Stoltenberg-, L. 502, 509. 

Stout. A. v., 581. 

Stowe, L. F., 448. 

St owe. W. W.. 322, 462. 

Stowe. Mrs. W. W., 462. 

Summer Resorts. 516. 527. 

Sully, (ieneral Alfred. 202. 272. 2'T. 
279, 281. 284. 



Summer .School of Botany, 540. 

Supervisors, 502. 

Supervisors, First Board of, 230. 

Superior, 510. 

Survey, (iovernment. 209. 

Superior News, 511. 

Swanyer, Miss Irsula. 81, 110. 

Swamp Lands, 212. 

"Swan." 401. 

Sweeney. Michael. 109. 

T. 
Taft. (;. A., 448. 
Ta Image, T. D., 475. 
Taylor, Frank, i510. 
Taylor, .Joseph Henry, 145. 
Taylor, E. E., 513. 
Taylor, E., 56. 
Taylor. \V. F., 556. 
Taylor & Ewert, 514. 
Templar Park, 451. 
Telegram. 581. 
Templar, 412. 
Terrill. 513. 
'J'errill Trihune. 515. 
Thatcher. J. M.. 45, 64, 84. 90. 
Thatcher. Mrs., 69, 128. 
Theories as to Cause of Minnesota 

Outbreak, 272, 273. 
Thomas, Mr., and Family. 81, 112. 115. 
Thomas, ^[rs. .\. 1.. 573,' 581. 
Thomas. J()sei)h. 421. 
Thornton. Samuel. 148. 
'Jhomas, S. M., .502. 
Tnompson, Mrs. Henry, 402. 
'J'houipson. Moses, 400. 
'J'honipson. iVm.. 501, 509. 
Tierney. Rev. P. A.. 404, 491. 
Tinkliam, 477. 
Tiukhain, Mrs. C, 488. 
Titonka, 33. 

T(>uii)kins, Clayton. 309. 311. 
Torson's Trip on Snowshoes. 187. 
Tortensen, C., 494. 
Townseiul. C. E.. 548. 
Townships Named. 324, 325. 
Tretts, Charlie, 113. 
Trowbridge, T.. 512. 
Trftwbridirc William. 548. 
Truchlood. (). ('.. 5i:!. 
Tut in. l-\ \V.. 509. 
Tuttlc. .1. T.. .325. 
Tut tie. .1. IJ. eV: II.. 325. 
Twiford. T. L.. 432. 407. 

u. 

llrich. C. Iv. 494. 
rnii)ashota. :::'.. 205. 290. 



598 



DICKINSON COUNTY - IOWA 



Uptagraft, Wm., 318. 

Upton, Eev. J. K., 368, 460, 479, 488, 500. 

V. 

^'aliiation, 559. 

^'alier, Kev. , 507. 

^■au Anda, Rev. J. A.. 210. 304. 

Van Cleave, S., 84. 

Van Honsen, D. L., 494. 

Van Steenburg-, B. 15., 3:!5, 371, 397, 

40]. 429. 433, 464. 
Van Steenburg, Mrs. D. F., 462. 
Van Steenburg, H., 448, 557. 
Vk-k. Peter, 325, 462. 
Vreeland. L. J.. 322, 384. 
^■reeland, L. W., 322, 384. 
\reeland, Wm., 322. 
^'reeland, :^^rs. Wm.. 462. 

W. 

Wade, Samuel, 255, 261. 
^^■aas, Eev. C. W.. 463. 
Waller, Samuel, 477. 
\Valker, Samuel. 322. 
AVallace, George, 317. 
Wamdisappi, 28, 29. 
^Varner, C, 20'8. 
Warner, Norton, 232. 
Wasson, H. I., 363. 
Watterson. Hon. Henry, 475. 
Waugh, L. W., 219, 31 S," 398. 
Waugh, Miss Ardella, 364. 
Waugh, Miss Arietta. 364. • 
Weatherby, Eev. A., 489. 
Welch. A. J., 325. 
Wel)l)er. Eev. E. L., 489. 



Wernli, J., 368. 

West, Rev. A. M., 461. 

West, C. E., 322. 

West, G. M., 512. 

AVhalen, E. C, 472, 474. 

Wheeler, Mr., 311 

Wheelock, E. U., 49. 70, 74, 88, 90, 

147. 154. 189. 259, 413, 417, 442. 
^^■heeloc•k, Miss Belle, 189, 418. 
White, G. A., 485. 
Whitelavv. Eev. W. H., 460. 
White Stone Hill, Battle of. 262. 278, 

279. 
Whit lock, J. T., 444. 
Williams. Major Wm.. 33. 34, 50. 61. 

75. 80, 84, 104. 108, 111. 
Wilcox, R. L., 398, 444. 446. 
Wilcox, R. R.. 288. 333. 
Wilkinson. John, 324. 
Wilkinson, Mrs. J., 488. 
Wilkius, Alfred, 170, 175, 209. 
A\illard. A., 443, 444. 
Wilson, AVm. !{., 84, 88, 90, 155.' 
Wilson & Dve, 215. 
Wiuev. S. A^ 557. 
^Vilson, W. S., 543. 
Wise, Homer, 476. 
Wood, (leorge. 112. 
Wood. Wm., 112. 
Wood. B. F.. 487. 
Woodin, N. J., 323. 
Woolery, Rev., 50'5. 
Wvckotf. 1'homas, 425. 
Wvlde. ]). L.. :.10, 512. 

Y. 
Yacht Races. 398. 
"ii'acht Clnb, 401. 



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